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By Rev Don Rivers
We have been taught to set goals in life; what do you want to be, where do you want to go, what do you want to attain. We haven’t been taught to pursue what matters. Many times, we fail to take a step back, observe, and decide what really matters. We can get so caught up in our own pursuits that we forget about God and what matters to Him. Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
The Declaration of Independence sought to give us the right to pursue happiness. “…that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness (and racing).”
As I have mentioned before, we have the freedom to race anywhere and everywhere we decide to go. I am reminded of that as I followed Andy J. and his pursuits a weekend ago; ARCA at Iowa Speedway on Friday, fifth place finish, all night ride to Buffalo to grab the Tour Mod then off to Chemung for the ROC Mod race, fifth place finish there, back to the shop, switch the Tour Mod for the Sport Mod and off to The Bull Ring, Wyoming County for the ROC Sportsman race. Ah, the sweet taste of Victory!
Did I mention where he got the passion for his pursuits? His dad. When your last name is Jankowiak, racing is what you do, especially on Father’s Day Weekend!
We can do anything we want; pursue anything we want, but does that secure our happiness? I suggest that there is more to life than that. We cannot secure anything apart from God. Remember the passage from James 4?
James 4:13-16; NLT; Look here, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.” How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. What you ought to say is, “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.” Otherwise you are boasting about your own pretentious plans, and all such boasting is evil.
The challenge for us is we do not know what tomorrow holds and all our hopes, dreams, plans and desires won’t make it’s coming any more certain. The writer of Ecclesiastes reminds us of the one pursuit that will make a difference.
Ecclesiastes 12:13; NLT; That’s the whole story. Here now is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone’s duty.
What are we pursuing in life; riches, fame and fortune, acknowledgment from others, satisfaction, fulfilment? We can get lost in the pursuit of those things. When we do we lose sight of what makes a difference in this life. We need to take a closer look at our activities. We need to ask God to show us His plan, embrace it and follow it.
Some of the places God calls us to go are not for our benefit. He wants us in places and guides us to people for His purpose. We would do well to be obedient, not asking what is in it for us, but rather how can I serve God through this.
Paul adds this advice; 1 Timothy 6:17-19; Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others. By doing this they will be storing up their treasure as a good foundation for the future so that they may experience true life.
We can lose focus on what really matters when we are overcome by trying to take care of ourselves. We focus so much time and energy on what we want that we fail to see the needs of others. Those needs are not just financial, they are spiritual, emotional, and physical. We do well to adjust our focus; take it off ourselves and look at the needs of others.
When we stop, take a step back and look around we start to see a bigger picture. We see what God is doing. We see how we can join Him. There will be a sacrifice for us to make, our comfort and security will be adjusted. The question remains; are we okay being uncomfortable and insecure in our efforts to follow God?
The lessons we find in James challenge us to change our focus, adjust our pursuits, and put value where God puts value. That isn’t always our first thought. We are predisposed to think of ourselves, our comfort and security before we consider that of others. James says that is not right. I am sure he heard that from Jesus.
Jesus reminds us; Matthew 6:33; NLT;Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.
It is life changing when we get our priorities in line with God’s. Our pursuits will change. We will see things differently. We will act differently. We will see those around us respond differently. Let me encourage you to acknowledge God, praise Him and follow His leading.
Philippians 4:8-9; NLT; And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.
Until next time, remember God loves you and Jesus is Lord over Auto Racing! God Bless. Remember, that your prayerful support and donations helps us continue this ministry. Thank You.
