Matthew 6:33
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
1 Corinthians 3:10-15
10 According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. 11 For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— 13 each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. 14 If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.
Each year we do a self evaluation at work covering different aspects of our job performance. This helps us realize our strengths and weaknesses and focus on what we need to improve upon for next year. While this is a helpful tool for work, we often discuss what scores we might earn if we carried this system to the rest of our lives. I can strive for 5’s at work, but if I succeed, will I have enough gas in the tank to be a 5 as a dad when I came home? And if I strive for 5’s as a dad, will I still earn the highest marks as a husband? And if I did that, will I be able to still strive for 5’s as a Christian, spend time with God daily, make time for prayer, church and service to the least of these around me? What would my scores be when it comes to showing love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control?
I have recently enjoyed the series John Adams on HBO. It is an wonderful historical account of an amazing leader who served his country above all else. Even though he was not always appreciated by his colleagues, he was a 5 as a patriot, a leader, and as a president. But as a father, and sometimes as a husband, he was about a 1 for much of his political life. He left his family for years in order to help build a fledgling nation. And while his oldest son would become president, his youngest son became a drunk who deserted his family and squandered his fortune.
No one can be all 5’s at work, at home, and at following God. There are just not enough hours in the day and we all have to make choices and set priorites. But we can strive for eternal 5’s when we seek first the kingdom of God and honor Him above all else. We can strive for 5’s in God’s kingdom by building on Jesus Christ’s foundation with precious materials. Perhaps in that process, those at work and at home can see that God’s Kingdom is the only thing truly worth seeking.
Pastor Ray is the Pastor of Worship and Children’s Discipleship at FBC Weslaco. He averages 3’s and 4’s at work and at home (depending on the time of the year) and needs to be reminded to strive for 5’s when it comes to building on Jesus’ foundation with Gold, silver and precious stones.