Check your heart

What is the most important issue in your life? Do you have a cause you're passionate about?

It's not wrong to have earthly causes that you are passionate about. Maybe you really care about the environment. That's awesome! God calls us to steward the earth well (see Genesis 1:28 and Genesis 2:15). Perhaps you have a deep ache to care for orphans and widows. Amazing! There are exhortations to do just that all throughout the Bible (see Deuteronomy 10:18, Psalm 68:5, and James 1:27 for examples).

But these causes must be viewed through the lens of the Bible. The means and the heart matter just as much to God, if not more, than the results.

On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

Matthew 7:22-23 NIV

God looks to what's behind our actions and he judges the heart. If you think you're in the clear here, you may be in danger of having a Pharisaical heart. We all do things for selfish reasons. My own pitfall is people pleasing, which means I often put more energy into looking righteous to other people and making them happy than I do into being righteous and pleasing the Lord. Many of you can relate. The reality of this sin is that it pulls us away from God as we put the magnifying glass on ourselves and the way we come across to others.

The world so easily entangles us and pulls our hearts away from serving God and truly loving others.

These are the things you are to teach and insist on. If anyone teaches otherwise and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, they are conceited and understand nothing. They have an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions and constant friction between people of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain.

1 Timothy 6:2b-5 NIV

Examine your focus. Do you have an unhealthy interest in controversies? Are you focusing on extrabiblical issues and proclaiming them as if they are gospel? Maybe you're not exactly like the person described here, who makes his money from stirring up conflict. But do you get social clout or an ego boost from arguing? Are you trying to win arguments or point people to Christ? It's so easy for us to fall into the trap of arguing our views on social media, but are we really speaking the truth in love when we tell a stranger online that he's an idiot for believing something we don't? I don't think so.

Are you trying to win arguments, or point people to Christ?

Our sense of self worth often comes from places apart from God. For me, it's how people see me. For you, it may really be winning an argument. And so often those things can look so good to the outside world. But they will leave us empty. God calls us to seek His kingdom and His righteousness first (Mat. 6:33). The only source of value that is real and good is our identity as God's image bearers and our Christian identity as children of God.

But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

1 Timothy 6:6-10 NIV

Contentment is really hard. Especially when we so strongly desire something. Sometimes it's a constant fight with our own hearts to keep the faith. But when we remember that everything we have belongs to God, we can begin to let go of the other things we worry about. We are taught by the culture to chase the next best thing. But with every win, we realize that it still isn't enough. See the book of Ecclesiastes. Solomon had everything the world could offer, but he still considered it all meaningless. We are called to live a different life.

But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith.

Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ,

which God will bring about in his own time—God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever.

Amen.

1 Timothy 6:11-16 NIV

Not only does Paul say we should avoid chasing the things of this world, he actually says we need to flee from it. RUN AS FAST AS YOU CAN! He knows that the temptation to gain worldly wealth for ourselves is so great that we shouldn't even go there. Don't give Satan a foothold. Instead grasp onto the good things of God and fight off the things of this world. Don't go scrolling on social media, falling into the comparison trap that says she just has it all and if only I had... A lot of those things aren't even bad. It's good to want a family, a house, financial stability, and a happy marriage. But when we think those things will satisfy us, they become idols.

Jesus alone can offer us the ultimate gift - eternal life with God.

What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?

Mark 8:36 NIV

Let go of the world and cling to eternal life. Only God will satisfy your desires and only he can change your heart. Let him!