Skip to main content

Wrong App

At times I find myself mindlessly looking through social media.  I go to Facebook, look around, and close the app.  I then open Twitter, look around, and close the app.  I may then open Instagram and do the same.  Then it's back to Facebook. Often I do this and feel empty.  I feel like I am searching for something and can't find it.

Meanwhile, all the answers are one app over.  The emptiness I feel is fulfilled in this app. The search ends in this app. It's the one stop shop that can fill me up.  That app is the Bible app. One tiny little app holds the entirety of the Bible-in multiple translations, Bible study tools, videos, and much much more.  God's truth is presented in numerous ways so I can understand.  So, I can find what I'm searching for.

Seems like a microcosm of our human existence.  We chase after things and stuff. We chase a successful career or the world's definition of the perfect family. We try to keep up with the neighbors. We seek after joy from things of this earth. We place our hope in people.  We show up for a couple of hours on Sunday and throw out hands in the air to worship. Then the other 166 hours of the week we chase after the empty promises of this world.  In the end we feel empty. Like we are searching for something and can't find it.  

We are looking in the wrong app.  We are looking for the wrong things to fulfill our hunger for peace and joy.  Nothing of this world can give us hope and joy like the love of our heavenly father, Jesus Christ.  What the world offers is empty lies. Only the Father offers what you crave. Only the life of Jesus can fill our emptiness.

Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.

1 John 2:15‭-‬17 NLT

Be blessed and be a blessing,

Matt














Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Anchor House: Week 6 Buried Treasure

When I started at Anchor House I committed to write at least one blog per week. Writing is something I enjoy and a way I get to interact with God. I can recall wanting to write about Anchor House in the days before I started, but my knowledge was limited..  To be honest I felt like I knew three things before I joined Anchor House. First,  Anchor House was a mission at Port Manatee (the Seaport, not the jail) Second, I knew it was a mission that my church, Westside Christian Church, supported with our Show Love funds.  Third, I knew God was calling me to serve Him there. However, what happened at Anchor House day to day was something of a mystery to me.   After being here for a few weeks I have learned quite a bit. I know where to look to find out when ships are coming in or departing.  I have learned that I am just tall enough to hit my head where most seafarers don’t. I have learned that flexibility is the key to serving at a seaport. One of th...
Post a Comment
Read more

Anchor House Week12: Constant

I've gotten almost a week behind on my reflections from Anchor House. It seems there just isn't enough time in the day.  The way these blogs come together is different from week to week.  Some weeks God puts a message clearly on my heart. Others it feels like a struggle to put "pen to paper".   This week was one of those that I knew exactly what I'd write about. However, each day passed and I missed the opportunity. You see, I write best in the mornings. Not sure if it's the limited distractions, a product of my habit of practicing my spiritual disciplines in the morning, or something else entirely. Most of my afternoon writing is intelligible and requires numerous edits.  In the AM, however, they seem to make more sense.   What's funny is that as I am writing, I am feeling God moving.  He's moving from what I thought I was to write about to what He wants me to share. These shifts and changes are a part of the shipping industry.  ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Tables

In the communion and offering meditation, Mindy shared a picture of their family's dinner table. She described the numerous activities that happen around that table. The one she said that stuck out the most to me was forgiveness.  There is one particular table in the Bible that comes to mind. It is where a significant moment in our history occurred. At this table, Jesus is dining with his closest followers, just hours before He will be arrested. He gathers with them to partake in the festival of unleavened bread. During this meal, this table is the stage for truth, betrayal, denial, lies, promise, and forgiveness.   As Jesus identifies his betrayer (Matt 26:20-25) and predicts Peter's denial of Him (Matt 26:31-35), He is fully aware of what is to come. He will pay a ransom to free God's people. Even as these bonds of trust and friendship are broken, Jesus doesn't relent. He still breaks the bread and still drinks of the cup. He offers forgiveness, "T...
Post a Comment
Read more