The Good Life
Their lives seem pretty good without Him.
Reference: The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. (Luke 4:5 NIV)
Explore: I have quite a few friends who don’t feel the need to explore a faith in Christ. Their lives seem pretty good without Him.
They have succeed in their careers, have a good relationship with their partner, and earn enough to enjoy a number of decent holidays. What more would they need in life?
Application: I’ve found it difficult to find an opportunity to show them how life could be so much more if they had Christ in their lives. And reading Luke 4 has just explained why.
When Jesus was tempted in the desert, the devil showed him all the kingdoms of the world and told Jesus that if He worshipped the devil all this would be His. The fact that this was a temptation means it was very appealing, even to Jesus.
If it was tempting to Jesus then it is tempting to us too. And many people think they have everything they desire because they are kicking goals in their studies, their work and their families.
They are looking out to the kingdoms the devil has shown them and they feel they have it all. And yet, those who believe in God know there’s more.
We need to show them the wisdom of Jesus, who looked out and was tempted, but knew He gained more in God than all of the kingdoms of the world.
Let’s be honest, we’re all tempted by the blessings of this world. And the best way we can show our friends, who think they have it all, how important God is, is to turn our focus from those rewards and dedicate our life to Christ.
Prayer: Lord, forgive us when we hunt for the blessings that will rust and decay. May we have the strength of Christ and dedicate our lives to following You. Amen.
What worldly blessings have you been following?
This article was written by Linda Bailey
Linda started theological studies in 1999 in Australia. After working for ten years in various church ministries, she now works as the breakfast producer at 89.9 LightFM - the Christian radio station in Melbourne, Australia. She writes blogs every day about passages she is currently reading in the Bible. Follow her on Google Plus +Linda Bailey or Facebook by clicking the like button on the right of this page.