Child of God, Where is Your Attention?

When our Lord Jesus Christ was physically walking on this planet earth, He warned us to beware lest the troubles and cares of this world draw our focus from the blessed hope, i.e. the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ to take us unto Himself (Titus 2:13).

Here is the Jesus' warning:

And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.

(Luke 21:34-35)

We are living in a world when almost everyone is very busy to attain a good life. Busy in business, studies, career, etc. While these things are not bad in themselves, the danger comes in when these things cloud over our spiritual attention to the things of God. When we are so occupied with earthly undertakings to the extent that we almost think that this world IS our home, that is when it becomes very dangerous. We must always remember that our citizenship is in heaven (Philippians 3:20)

We hear global movements, in different aspects of life, all geared to "make this world a better place to live".

Popular among such movements include environmental, population and birth control, peace, and now AIDS prevention movements. Such movements are supposed, according to their key players, to bring the world to a point where man lives in peace with his fellow man and in ‘perfect harmony with nature’.  (The phrase ‘perfect harmony with nature’ itself requires a separate discussion, to explore its pagan roots).

However the Scriptures warn us that when we hear things are fine, then the very opposite is actually in store:

For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.

(1 Thessalonians 5:2-3, emphasis mine)

For a person who is not following up what is actually taking place in the world, and does not believe and/or is not aware of what has been said in the Bible about the times leading to the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, will think and believe that life on earth will ultimately be a good one, whereas the reality is quite to the contrary.

We as Bible-believing born-again Christians, have to be aware of what the written Word of God has said about  the times we are living, and be consistently watching whatever is happening around us, so that we can fully discern the signs of the times. (I am preparing a separate article titled Understand Signs of the Times, which will touch on this subject in some detail).

Most of the signs mentioned by our Lord Jesus as signifying the closeness of His coming (read, for instance, the entire Matthew chapter 24) have taken place and are still being fulfilled before our very eyes. Therefore, we have to live with the full understanding that we are strangers on this planet, and at God’s own timing, Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour will come to receive us unto Himself, at the sound of the trumpet of God:

For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

(1 Thessalonians 4:16-18)

God bless you and may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.