Focus on the prime matters — Ecclesiastes 10:10
‘If the iron be blunt, and he do not whet the edge, then must he put to more strength: but wisdom is profitable to direct. ‘ — Ecclesiastes 10:10
When you read the scripture above, what comes to mind?
I trust the first thing that comes to your mind is how it relates to your work — that isn’t wrong as it can be applied to work as well, but there’s a deeper message in there.
We’ll approach it with something our Lord said to the Pharisees:
‘ Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. ‘ — Matthew 23:23
The Pharisees focused on the carnal things that were of benefit to them [their flesh] and left the more important parts of actually walking in love & truth — you can equate this to living the life of Christ (what we are called into).
What is prime for us as believers?
‘And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. ‘ — Galatians 5:24–25
‘And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. ‘ — Romans 12:2
‘But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.’ — 2 Corinthians 3:18
From so many scriptures, we can see we are called to become more like Christ daily.
How do we sharpen the edge of this prime matter?
The solution is very simple and our Lord has already provided the roadmap as we’ll see:
‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. ‘ — Matthew 6:33
We’ll cap it off with this:
‘Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.
But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein , he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. ‘ — James 1:21–22,25
Action for today
I want you to sit and think and ask yourself these questions:
- How much focus am I paying to become more like Christ? — by studying the Word
- How much of what I’m studying have I begun applying?
