Crowns and thrones may perish, kingdoms rise and wane,
But the church of Jesus constant will remain.
And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever. (I Jn. 2:17)
Everything that an individual knows and possesses on earth is temporal. Though one may desire earthly treasures for himself, the things of the world are in opposition to God. Whoever wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God (Jas. 4:4).
“The world draws the heart away from God; and the more the love of the world prevails, the more the love of God decays” (Matthew Henry).
The believer is exhorted to build his life on Jesus, the Chief Cornerstone. To do so is to invest in unseen possessions—love for God and man (Mk. 12:30) realized by the fruit of the spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (5:22-23). These possessions are character qualities, and they cannot be purchased with money. They can only be ‘bought’ with the currency of God—love for God, faith in God, and obedience to God. This is the realm of eternity, the realm of the heart, the realm of the unseen. With love, God touches the individual’s heart. The individual takes possession by faith and obedience. He shares the treasure God has given him with his family, his neighbor, and his world. Hearts touching hearts. Investing in God’s economy, unseen and of eternal value (2 Cor. 4:16).
When we set our mind on choosing “Thy will be done” not “My will be done,” we are investing in God’s economy. We are aligning our will with God’s will, the work of our hands with the work of God. He who does the will of God abides forever. The difference between works that will be thrown into the fire and that which will abide forever is the motive of our hearts. Though situations will change, doubts arise, and troubles come, we can stand firm, knowing that we will abide with Him through all eternity when we have invested our lives in yielding to God.
Do you allow temporal situations and activities to usurp the will of God in your life? Forsaking the world’s economy for God’s economy is an act of the will from a heart committed to loving God. The hardest job you will ever have. The greatest reward you will ever know. To do the will of God is to invest in eternity. What one step could you take today toward investing in God’s economy, the unseen realm of the heart? The world passes away, and the lusts thereof, but he that does the will of God abides forever. “Crowns and thrones may perish, kingdoms rise and wane, but the church of Jesus constant will remain.”