“But first and most importantly seek (aim at, strive after) His kingdom and His righteousness [His way of doing and being right—the attitude and character of God]….” (Matthew 6:33 AMP)
In case anyone is wondering, I’m not done with my home’s physical deep cleaning. I keep pecking away at it from several directions and accomplishing various smaller projects, but I’m nowhere close to the goal I had for this summer. The spiritual “deep cleaning” has taken a deeper turn, too. A friend helped me name some things that need to be taken to the Lord in prayer and released. Like the physical cleaning, it’s easy to get sidetracked by other projects, activities, and the needs of other people and either inadvertently or in avoidance put aside the cleaning you had intended to do.
Some time ago I heard an album of worship music called “A Long Obedience in the Same Direction.” I found out later that this title came from Pastor Eugene Peterson’s book, and while I haven’t read the book, I think the title is a fitting description of the faith walks of many of us. We have good intentions to go straight toward God, but our actual path may be much more twisting, turning, climbing, falling, stumbling, and even backtracking. Kind of like one of those Family Circus cartoons. Our good intentions to seek straight for only God and his Kingdom end up looking like Billy’s efforts to go from point A to point B.
Paul’s letter to the Hebrews doesn’t tell them to run a straight race. Instead, it says to run with PERSEVERANCE with our eyes fixed on Jesus. He is leading us “forward into faith’s perfection” because of his joy for us. Perseverance means to keep going no matter what. When the road of life circumstances – or spiritual realities – seems to be going into a valley or struggling over some mountain, we must persevere. Just keep going. When our path seems twisty or crooked, just keep going. A long obedience in the same (general) direction is still obedience. It’s still motion. It’s still persevering. It’s still forward into faith’s perfection when we keep our eyes fixed on Jesus.
So today, take a step toward that goal. Take a step toward that ending. Persevere.
Maybe the garage will get cleaned, too.
God,
Thank you that you are the Way, the Truth, and the Life and you are filled with Joy at your Love for us. Thank you that you call us to seek first your Kingdom and then you help us in our perseverance. Help us today to keep going to the goals you have for us and to keep our attention and expectation focused on you, the Author and Perfecter of our faith. In Jesus’s name we pray, Amen.
Jesus said to him, “I am the [only] Way [to God] and the [real] Truth and the [real] Life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. (John 14:6 AMP)
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.” (Hebrews 12:1-2 NIV)
“As for us, we have all of these great witnesses who encircle us like clouds. So we must let go of every wound that has pierced us and the sin we so easily fall into. Then we will be able to run life’s marathon race with passion and determination, for the path has been already marked out before us. We look away from the natural realm and we focus our attention and expectation onto Jesus who birthed faith within us and who leads us forward into faith’s perfection. His example is this: Because his heart was focused on the joy of knowing that you would be his, he endured the agony of the cross and conquered its humiliation, and now sits exalted at the right hand of the throne of God!” (Hebrews 12:1-2 TPT)
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.” (Hebrews 12:1-2 NLT)