A Nugget from New Life Network
(by Dr. Larry Ollison)
Scripture for the Day (November 4, 2015)
Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your strength. (Nehemiah 8:10)
The other day, I heard a young man who was a new Christian talking about Jesus and the Bible. He was joyful and excited. In fact, he was so excited about the things of God that the other person evidently felt it was their duty to shed some reality on the conversation. The older person looked at the young man with a very serious expression and said, “When I first became a Christian I was excited like you, but later I matured. If you don’t watch yourself, you may become so heavenly minded that you will be no earthly good.”
Well, let me say this about that statement – Baloney!!! Yes, there is an old phrase that says, “You are so heavenly minded that you’re of no earthly good.” While this may sound good, the reality is, it doesn’t line up with the Word of God. We as Christians cannot listen to the witty phrases and clichés of the world and treat them as though they are the Word of God. Let’s get real. As Christians, we must rely on God’s true Word and nothing else.
So, with that in mind, let’s look at this statement and examine the truth. Here’s the truth – the more heavenly minded we become, the more earthly good we will be. Actually, Satan wants us to not be heavenly minded. To be heavenly minded means that we love God and seek His will, that we walk in the Word, and that we walk by faith instead of by what we see. When we walk in faith, it pleases God, and Satan hates it when we please God.
The Bible says in Matthew 6:33. “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” This verse clearly states that in order to have our earthly needs provided, we must first and foremost seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness. In other words, we must be heavenly minded.
It’s interesting that many church members want to confine their spirituality to two hours on Sunday and possibly another meeting during the week. Then the rest of the week they are earthly minded and the things of God are a side issue and rarely thought of. That should never be! If we as Christians want to be effective here on earth, we must increase our heavenly mindedness.
When we have a problem in our relationships, it’s a good time to seek God. When we have a problem in our finances, it’s a good time to seek God. When we have to make a difficult decision, it’s a good time to seek God. But a better time to seek God is to seek Him continually. Don’t wait for the problems to come. Be heavenly minded and stay in His Word, and you will increase your faith. Then, when problems arise, you will be better equipped to deal with them.
Now don’t take me wrong, sometimes people are not heavenly minded, they’re just goofy. We need to be heavenly minded, but we must not become goofy. Seek God daily. Continually be in communion with God by way of prayer and worship. There is a big difference between seeking God and acting like a goofball. Over the years I have found that most people who act real religious are doing just that – acting. So, don’t act religious, be heavenly minded. Keep focused on the things of God. And when that excited new Christian comes along, bubbling over with joy, stand close. Maybe some of that joy will spill over on you.
Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore. (Psalm 16:11)
