It is a spiritual tragedy to witness many Christians today seeming to be more concerned about financial losses over the past months than for the enormous and growing human loss we have been witnessing for the past several years through persecution, natural disaster, substance abuse, homicide killings, and the like. For each lost life we witness, would our children, family and friends see us quickly ponder and dismiss the situation with a sigh that surrenders any notion that we can do something about it, or would they find us drawing near to the fundamentals of our faith with a burden to pray, fast and weep over the nations for repentance and a return to holiness? For each percentage drop of our 401K and savings accounts would they see us make spectacle of the loss by our groaning and distress over our failing finances, or would they find us seeking the Lord in our own repentance, as that which we stored up for our own purposes has been taken away, more tragically never to be seen or used as opportunity to help advance the Kingdom of God.

Have we wasted not only what we had, but are we wasting our responses to what is happening? Are we imploring the Spirit of God to reveal the true spiritual nature of our hearts and situations, or are we scrambling in our emotions and actions in relentless pursuit of a secure and stable future for ourselves? May I offer two scriptures we as Christians can use to guide our motives, thoughts and actions during these days:

Matthew 6:33 – But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things (provisions and necessities of this life) will be added to you.

Luke 12:18-21 – ‘And I (the rich man) will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.’ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”

May the God of our salvation find us saturated with thoughts of things that are eternal. Would we make use of these times by turning ourselves toward the rich purposes of God, who has prepared a place for us in heaven where our citizenship is well established, so that we may freely and fully give our earthly lives to the selfless work of being a heavenly ambassador. This is the response of the disciple of Christ. This is life on the narrow road.