THE RIGHT QUEST
Philippians 3:18-19
For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things.
Hunting has changed in the last 50 years. When I was a kid hunting was about going to camp, time with family and friends and bring home meat for the family. Yes when we got a chance at a big buck we were excited and we would even get a photo taken with it. Back then no one concerned themselves with what a buck scored.
Today many hunters will do nearly anything to get a high scoring buck. Seems like every year we read about a TV hunting personality that has broken the law to put his name in the record book. A few years back there was one hunter that was buying big sets of antlers shooting a deer, then putting the bought antlers on the dead deer. All to look good to hunters and make money. I miss what hunting was.
Hunters have lost their jobs, their families, their friends and their dignity all for this quest. But hunting is just one example. Financial success (or the look of success) is another strong driving force to get people to break the rules to achieve their misguided goals.
In Paul's letter to the church in Philippi, he warns against setting our minds on earthly things. In Ecclesiastes 1, the writer tells how the quest for all earthly things is vanity. It has no lasting value.
So what does have value? The Apostle Paul ends his letter to the church in Philippi with these words.
Philippians 4:8
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
So what is true, noble, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent or praiseworthy? Only the things of our God.
Make sure your quest is directed towards Him and Him alone. All else is meaningless.
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