Make it our goal...

Read 2 Corinthians 5:1-10

The Apostle Paul writes some pretty deep stuff - have you ever noticed that? Second Corinthians 5 is no exception.

Writing to the Corinthian believers he compares our lives saying now we live in these temporary bodies, in tents; but what awaits us is our eternal house in heaven, our future heavenly home. We are to live by faith, not by sight confident in knowing what is to come. We are to make it our goal to please Him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. Because all of us will one day face judgment. Believers will appear before the judgment seat of Christ where we will receive what is due us for the things done while in the body. I told you these were some deep things.

Paul encourages these believers to remember that what we do matters for our future because all of us will face judgment for what we do, whether good or bad. Now before we mistake what Paul is and is not saying, let's start with what he is not saying. He is not saying what we do determines our eternal destiny, because we can't earn our way into heaven. What he is saying is there will be judgment (he writes about this kind of judgment in 1 Corinthians 3 if you'd like to read more about this) where rewards in heaven will be received or lost based on our faithfulness to Christ now in this life. So no matter what we are to always make it our goal to please who? That's right - Jesus Christ.

Today, this week, let's take a life inventory and determine if there's anything getting in our way of making it our goal to please the Lord. If there is, what's it going to take to release it and let it go? Remember the Christian life is about declaring the praises of God, living and doing and being about what is pleasing in God's sight. May His glory always be our first goal.