Do You Serve God or the Things of This World?

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Do You Serve God or the Things of This World?

Scripture: 2 Timothy 4:10

“…for Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia.”

None of us want Demas’s choice to be a part of our legacy. We do not want it said of us that we so loved this world that we abandoned opportunities to live a life that will echo into eternity. Exchanging a life of eternal value for one that is perishing is not a good exchange at all.

As a companion in the service of Paul, Demas was living a life that would echo into eternity. But the allure of the world deceived him. Scripture says that friendship with the world makes us enemies of God. We are not to love the things of the world more than we love God.

This does not mean we cannot be in the world, and serve effectively for the Lord. God’s people are spread throughout the world system, joyously doing his work. Scripture tells us that even in Caesar’s household, there were members of the faith. It boils down to our attitude toward God and toward the world system. Which one are we going to serve?

Each day is a new opportunity for us to find ways to serve the King. The older we become, the more we realize the “time bubble” in which we live is not permanent. As we practice Kingdom of God, we focus on eternal objectives versus the things of this world that are perishing.

We have to be careful since this world has a powerful allure that can deceive us. We do not want the giants of greed and excessive consumerism to rob us of opportunities to invest our time, talent, and treasure strategically into things of eternal value.

Today, ask yourself:

Am I spiritually alert so I do not fall into the trap of becoming a Demas? In what ways will I strategically invest my time, talent, and treasure into endeavors of eternal value?

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