The Most Important Thing

A Devotional Snapshot

Early one morning, in the pre-dawn hour, I was set up with my camera and tripod at sunrise point in Bryce Canyon National Park. As the day began to dawn, more and more photographers arrived to capture the first light over the sea of sandstone hoodoos. While waiting for the sun to peak over the horizon, I found myself surrounded by tripods. I saw a wide assortment of camera makes and models. I listened to the casual conversation of everyone present as they shared their common enthusiasm for photography. I heard talk of f-stops, shutter speeds, and white balance settings, as well as travel plans, places previously visited, and various shoot itineraries. What became apparent to me was how very important and central to happiness all of these things were to everyone present. All were fully absorbed with everything that life was offering to them. I began to think about my faith and the comfort, peace, assurance, and sense of purpose that it brought me. I was suddenly very thankful for the relationship I had with God and the nearness I shared with him in that moment– it warmed my soul as I stood in the chilly morning breeze. I wondered to myself, "does anyone here share this same assurance?" "Does anyone here understand what really matters or was this present company like so many others on the broad road down who completely miss the one thing that is imperative and most important of all?"

There are many important things in life. Each of us have certain things that are of particular importance that we hold dear with strong affection. It may be family, career, houses, lands, goals, dreams, or any number of passionate pursuits. It is not unreasonable to say that these are important things. We are people who have an innate desire to live life to the fullest. It's not living if we don't reach for the sky and endeavor to be all that we can be and enjoy all that is good and proper to enjoy. What aspiring enthusiast among us could possibly settle for the drab boring existence of a life without the vivid colors of a personal passion or dream. I, for one, have never been very good at being as dull as a stone, and would never be content to live a life resigned to mediocrity concerning the things that I am passionate about. I am a hopeless enthusiast, indelibly stained to the core, and I remain thoroughly unapologetic about it. Yes, I am an enthusiast, but I am also no fool, for I have also chosen first, with enthusiasm, the thing most important.

The greatest mistake that many people make is that they put the important things in this life ahead of the most important thing in all of life. The most important thing, in this life, is a relationship with Jesus Christ, there is nothing that is more important under heaven. Jesus asks each of us the most important question about the most important thing, "who do YOU say that I am?" Your answer to that question will determine your destiny and purpose in this life and for all eternity.

This life is really a proving ground to give each of us an opportunity to respond to God by faith. Whoever we are or whatever we do or aspire to become is second to this most important thing. The details of our earthly life are all temporal and are passing away. There are far too many who do not consider that we were created for God; and ultimately he is the only one who can satisfy our deepest longing for fulfillment. Do you not know that you were made for God? It is of utmost importance to understand that a relationship with God is the only thing that will matter when our brief life on earth comes to an end and all of the other things that were important to us no longer exist.

And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever. (1 John 2:17)

If you are living life without God you are missing the most important thing. Everything else will ultimately fail you because nothing can bring you fulfillment like your Creator can. You were made for his eternal life; do not hide from him in the temporal life. The things that this life can offer are not enough. Don't ignore the most important thing. If you reach for the sky and succeed in taking hold of it, that's fine, I won't try to deny you that, but don't stop there, reach beyond, even further, to the one who put the sky in place and holds your life in his hand and choose him as Lord and savior today.

And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. This is the first commandment. (Mark 12:30)

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Doctrinal Statement

A Safe Light in a Dark World.