John the Baptist was a messenger for Jesus. He spoke of one who would come after him and would be much greater than himself. John didn’t try to draw attention to himself, but he directed the attention to where it should rightly belong – on Jesus.
Just as John the Baptist was a messenger for Jesus’ first coming, we too should be messengers for His second coming. The way we conduct ourselves should point others towards Jesus. There are many times when I can see aspects of Jesus in others and, unfortunately, times when I can see aspects of Satan in other people as well.
If we don’t continue to spread the Word of God, the world will start to forget about Jesus. The world is gradually taking Jesus out of everything. Santa Claus and presents are the focus of Christmas. Jesus has been taken out of the sacrament of marriage and more effort is spent trying not to offend someone instead of correcting their destructive beliefs on sexuality and gender identity. The world has the attitude of do what you want to do and don’t let anyone tell you you’re wrong. You are the ultimate authority and no one has the right to question you.
As we journey through life, is the question in our minds, “How can I do what I want to do?” or is it “How can I do what God wants me to do?” There have been many very successful people in life whom the world has praised for accomplishing their dream. However, in the end, if they lost their eternal life and were a failure at what truly matters, were they really successful at all? Is our definition of success money, power, fame, or even personal happiness? My definition of success is making it to Heaven where I can spend eternity with the one being who loves me unconditionally. While I would love to be successful in my personal endeavors, I would rather do what it takes to achieve the goal of eternal life in Heaven.
It is very hard to swim against a strong current and it is extremely hard to go against a majority opinion. This is why we need to always spread the message of Jesus. The majority of the world just goes with the flow of the current. Is the current bringing people closer to God or washing them out to sea? We are the current. Which way are you flowing?
One reply on “The Motion of the Ocean”
This is so beautifully written, Matt. I especially like your bringing to attention the fact that it seems the all important thing in the world now is all that matters is to make yourself happy. Yes, being happy is a good thing, but we need to focus on making our true happiness in doing for others. That’s when I’m the happiest. I believe we are here to serve, not to be served.