Pray and ask God what he would have you do

Titles, positions of power, prestige, wealth, and material possessions are driving forces in the world today. People spend countless hours working and pursuing these things. 40 to 50 hour weeks and lack of sleep are commonplace in the lives of individuals who seek these worldly pursuits. While none of these things is inherently bad, when we pursue them above anything else in our lives, we find ourselves becoming frustrated, exhausted, and emotionally spent. The philosophy, the more you work the more you get, has driven even the most disciplined individuals to the brink of physical failure.

In scripture we read in the book of Ecclesiastes King Solomon addresses these very things. Solomon was a great king with great wisdom. Later in his life, he decided to try and pursue the meaning of life and embarked on a journey of physical pleasure and self-fulfillment. At the end of these exploits he declared that the pursuit of material possession, titles, physical pleasures and the praise of man was “utterly meaningless.” He ended the book with the definition of the meaning of life and how to find fulfillment. “Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone’s duty. God will judge us for everything we do, including every secret thing whether, good or bad.

Jesus took it a bit further in the book of Matthew chapter 6 verse 33. “But seek first His kingdom and his righteousness and all these things will be added to you.” Notice that Jesus didn’t tell us to go make a name for yourself but rather said to make the name of the Lord great. Along with Jesus, the Apostle Paul wrote it this way. “Therefore as the scripture says, If you want to boast, boast only about the Lord.

Dedication to pleasing the Lord will do more for you than any amount of money or accolade you could receive. So, how do we do this? It may sound simple but the answer is a simple one. Pray. Pray and ask God what he would have you do. It may even be opposite of what the world teaches us. Listen to what he is saying and act in obedience. As you do this, you train your ears to hear from Him and practice obedience. You may find yourself in a position of power or authority and if you do, ask yourself why you are there and what God wants to accomplish through you.