Simple insights with eternal weight.

Taking a quiet walk can reveal so much to the soul. I know many Christians have a daily devotional time when they spend time reading the Bible and praying and doing this makes them feel satisfied. They also try to stay connected to God during their daily activities but it’s not the same as being completely quiet before God because there are so many voices around us and inside us. Even when we kneel in prayer we often seem to be unable to quiet our mind and heart. That’s why I have a sacred respect for taking walks not just to enjoy nature but to intentionally search my heart before God and allow Him to pull me away from the cares and movement of the world. I did so today because of an unusual day off during the week due to a short-term change in my working schedule. It surprised me just how caught up we can be in simply living our lives, especially for those of us that are married. Though we need to work and there are many responsibilities we have to our home and the society we live in, we shouldn’t allow our lives to revolve around our daily need for survival- God wants us to focus on Him and to make Him the pursuit of our existence. We tend to get so attached to material things and we even rationalize our desire to accumulate more but shouldn’t our lives be rather lived simply and modestly? Our aim in life shouldn’t be material wealth or physical perfection but rather becoming spiritually enriched by spending our free time deepening ourselves in the things of God. 1 John 2:16-17 tells us plainly, “For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.” When God opens our eyes to see the beauty of seeking things that are eternal, we no longer pursue money, influence, looks, insignificant pursuits, or anything worldly and temporary because we see the difference between the dust of the world and the gold of heaven. Our lives are fleeting; the years are passing so quickly…only things of eternal value will last- faith, love, humility, patience, gentleness, self-denial…and those that seek them endure forever.