"Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?" Matt 6:27

I've been thinking about a few verses that have struck a chord in me lately. Here they are, comment if you wish.

Acts 18:9-11

One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: "Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city." So Paul stayed for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God.(NIV)

Living in a city like this, going to a school with 26,000 other kids, going to classes and hearing professors talk about the failures and problems with religions, it is easy to get discouraged and feel overwhelmed by the secular society. But by living in a Christian community, one that is constantly evolving and changing, we are able to remember that we aren't alone. There are reinforcements just around the bend.

Matthew 6:19-end talks about a radical lifestyle that we, as Christians, should have. We should be completely centered on God, he should be our top priority. Verse 19 is a familiar section talking about earthly treasures and Heavenly treasures. I think that it is too easy for us to lie to ourselves and forget about earthly things that we treasure. For us to really be focused on God, we need to ask ourselves "What is my heart seeking? Has it become more important than God?" And we need to answer these questions honestly, even though it will be tough. It's hard to look at yourself and and say "I treasure my car more than I treasure God" or "I treasure books and studying more than God." Personnally, I find myself being captivated by my laptop more than I should. And it's tough to realize that I treasure my laptop more than God. It seems silly, but when I wake up in the morning, what do I go to first? My Bible? No, my laptop. But it's something I work on everyday, and I'm making progress.