No Other Options

From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more. Then Jesus said to the twelve, "Do you also want to go away?" But Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."

— John 6:66–69

 

"Where else can we go?" Peter says. He had come to realize that no one else could save him from his sin. He understood what Jesus was saying. "We get it, Lord. We know what you are saying. You alone are the Savior. There are no other options."

For many it is repulsive, offensive, to think they are sinners in need of a Savior. They can live with religion. They can even live with the idea of having Jesus as an example to follow in life. But He is more than that. He died on the cross because you have sinned and you need to cry out to Him. Some might say, "I don't need to do that." Oh, yes, you do.

You don't realize how perilous your situation is. You don't realize how much you need a Savior. You might think you are a good person. But the fact of the matter is we have all sinned. We have all fallen short; we do not measure up to God's standard, which is perfection.

You're in need of Jesus Christ. He offers His forgiveness to you. What are you going to do? Come to Him.

The Best Antidote for Worry

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.

— Philippians 4:6

It is not an issue of whether hardship will come into our lives; it is an issue of what we will do when it actually does. Our natural inclination is to freak out, to stress out, and to worry. But that doesn't help—it actually makes it worse. So what should we do instead? We need to pray.

We all have what could be described as a natural reflex. A natural reflex is just what we do. We don't have to teach a child a reflex. If a child touches something hot, he will recoil. He doesn't leave his hand there, but will pull it back. That is a natural reflex.

But then there is a conditioned reflex, and we learn this through time. We learn how to do certain things. When you learn to drive, for instance, it is not easy at first. You are conscious of everything you are doing. But after awhile, it gets easier. And before you know it, your driving has become a series of conditioned reflexes.

In the same way, we need to develop a conditioned reflex when it comes to hardship in our lives. In times of trouble, some turn to other people. There is a place for that, but ultimately, people cannot meet all our needs. No one will be able to do that for us. Others turn to alcohol. But that only creates new problems. Others tune out and pretend that bad things aren't really happening.

Guided Missiles

As we fight the spiritual battle, we need spiritual weaponry.

Let's consider our shield. The apostle Paul writes, "above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one" (Ephesians 6:16).

The words above all mean that faith is of paramount importance. The other armor won't function apart from faith.

The shields that Roman soldiers would use were made of wood and then covered with cloth and leather. They were large, rectangular objects about four feet high and two feet wide. By crouching behind it, the soldier could completely hide himself.

The term fiery darts that Paul uses refers to one of the most commonly-used enemy tactics of his day. Prior to a face-to-face engagement with the enemy, a warrior would often encounter a barrage of flaming arrows coming from all directions. Their sole purpose was to demoralize and confuse him.

Our modern equivalent might be guided missiles or rockets.

The Roman soldier had to hold up his shield to protect himself from those fiery arrows. Sometimes, he would dip his shield in water so the fire-tipped arrows would be extinguished when they struck the shield.

Satan has his "flaming arrows," or "guided missiles," which he shoots our way. They are swift and silent and we receive no advance warning of their arrival. You can wake up in the morning, and the enemy will hit you with a flaming arrow before your feet even hit the floor.

It might be an impure thought or a thought of complete despair. You may be gripped with intense fear and terror. "What if this happens, or if that happens?"

It might be a thought of hatred toward someone. It might even be a blasphemous thought or a thought of doubt.

When do these "flaming arrows" come? At strategic times—like when you decide to read the Bible.

Isn't it amazing that you can open the newspaper and maintain your full ability to concentrate with no distractions? You can get through the whole thing—the want ads, the comics, and all the advertisements—with no disruption whatsoever.

Or you may watch some mindless TV program and you'll get through it with no phone calls, no distractions, and no problems.

When We Put God First

"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you."

— Matthew 6:33

 

When Solomon, the son of David and Bathsheba, ascended to the throne after his father died, he was overwhelmed by the task at hand. So he prayed, and God appeared to him in a dream and told him, "Ask! What shall I give you?" (1 Kings 3:5).

If God appeared to you tonight and told you to ask for whatever you wanted, what would you pray for? Fortunately, Solomon asked for wisdom to rule God's people: "Therefore give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?" (1 Kings 3:9).

Because he had not asked for a long life, riches, or even the death of his enemies, God told Solomon He would give him just what he requested and more: "And I have also given you what you have not asked: both riches and honor, so that there shall not be anyone like you among the kings all your days" (1 Kings 3:13).

Solomon had his priorities in order. He sought God's kingdom first, and all of those things were added to him.

And when we put God and His kingdom first, our lives will find the proper balance as well. When Jesus said, "Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you," what things was He speaking of? In context, these "things" are what you will wear, what you will drink, and what you will eat. But let me take it a step further. It is also where you will work, where you will live, and even whom you will marry.

The basic issues of life will be taken care of by God when we put Him first.

First Things First

"Your kingdom come. Your will be done. On earth as it is in heaven."

— Matthew 6:10

 

A verse every Christian should commit to memory is Matthew 6:33: "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you."

What does it mean to seek first the kingdom of God? God's kingdom is the rule and reign of Christ in our lives. Jesus taught us to pray, "Your kingdom come. Your will be done. On earth as it is in heaven" (Matthew 6:10). This is praying for a day when God will bring heaven to earth and will bring His rule on this planet. God still has a plan for planet Earth. He will rule and reign here, and as believers, we will rule and reign with Him. So that is in the future.

But when we pray, "Your kingdom come. Your will be done. On earth as it is in heaven," we are also praying for the rule and reign of the kingdom of God in our lives. This is when Jesus is in charge. On one occasion Jesus said, "For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you" (Luke 17:21), where He was speaking of himself. When you are under His lordship, and when He is in control of your life, that is the kingdom of God. It is not rules and regulations, but "righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit" (Romans 14:17).