"The Birth-Right"

 "He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal." (John 12:25 KJV)

  "For our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. But God's discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness. No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening- it's painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way. So take a new grip with your tired hands and strengthen your week knees. Mark out a straight path for your feet so that those who are weak and lame will not fall but become strong." (Hebrews 12:10-13 NLT)

 Sometimes we must weigh the challenges of trying to live right, with the consequences of living as if this is all we got, because this life will soon be over! Simply put, if this is the life you love, you will be lost, because it does not last very long, at all! You cannot hold onto this life forever! 

 But, if you have your eyes set upon that life which God has provided for you, after this life, then whatever goes on in this life will become strangely dim, in light of the glorious life that is to come. This is, if you have faith in God's promises! 

 Sadly, I think it gets a little more complicated when we fail to see the difference between us and those who are of this world. We evaluate what we are, compared to what we should be; thinking that somehow, we really aren't any different than those who live for this world. But that is exactly what the devil wants us to do, to believe that we just don't measure up to being a child of God. 

 We can't will ourselves to be better, as if it's all about free will and being strong; because we are not as strong as we think we are! And if we think that we are strong enough, we will freely fall, without even knowing what happened. 

 Sometimes this gets hard, as we get torn between two worlds. Even simple things, like providing for a family, or caring for someone that needs your utmost attention; these things sometimes make us feel trapped and dependent on this worldly life, as if life is what it is, and we just need to deal with it.

 I can recall something I said, the night of my wife's operation: speaking to my mother-in-law, I said, "Well, at least Marianne won't care where we have to live anymore!" This was not something I was proud to say but was my reflection of how much more we enjoyed each other, before we focused on trying to enjoy life. Bigger houses and nicer cars, do nothing for making life happier; if anything, they become idols and distractions from what really matters the most.

 The simple illustration of Esau, who traded his birth-right for a single meal, is more than just a story, it is what takes place when we try satisfying a temporary pleasure with an eternal benefit! We must abide in Christ and obey His Spirit that abides in us, this is our Birth-Right...

 "You have not come to a physical mountain, to a place of flaming fire, darkness, gloom, and whirlwind, as the Israelites did at Mount Sinai. For they heard an awesome trumpet blast and a voice so terrible that they begged God to stop speaking. They staggered back under God's command: "If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death." Moses himself was so frightened at the sight that he said, "I am terrified and trembling." No, you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to countless thousands of angels in a joyful gathering. You have come to the assembly of God's firstborn children, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God himself, who is judge over all things. You have come to the spirits of the righteous ones in heaven who have now been made perfect. You have come to Jesus, the one who mediates the new covenant between God and people, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks of forgiveness instead of crying out for vengeance like the blood of Abel. Be careful that you do not refuse to listen to the One who is speaking. For is the people of Israel did not escape when they refused to listen to Moses, the earthly messenger, we will certainly not escape if we reject the One who speaks to us from heaven!" (Hebrews 12:18-25 NLT)