30 Day Husband Encouragement Challenge - Day 22

"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righouseness, and all these things shall be added to you"  Matthew 6:33

If we are living in light of eternity, everything we think, do, or say is seen from an eternal perspective.  We will someday give an account for our failure to speak words of love and encouragement.  Determine today that your words will be sweet and helpful.

Does your husband have an eternal perspective that allows him to reject materalism and temporal values?  Express your gratefulness for his value system, and praise him for putting eternal things before riches and other things of this world.

If this is a problem area for him, consider how you might alter your own value system and live for eternity in front of him, encouraging him to do the same.  Only two things will last into eternity: the Word of God and people.  Be sure that you are focusing on the right things.

We heard the best church sermon we have ever heard last Sunday - and it touched on this.  Our pastor said that we can only serve one master.  "No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other..."  Matthew 6:24.  I have heard this verse many times in my life, and always thought, "Oh, that doesn't apply to me.  I do not love or serve any other Gods". 

Pastor Sal offered a new perspective - what do you serve?  What drives you?  It could be money - saving for retirement - his point - when you leave this life for your eternal one, will the stock market have saved you?  No.  Will God provide for you as he has promised?  Yes.  We have to be stewards with the money he has trusted us with, not serve it, live for it, etc.  We need to focus on God, our relationship with him - our families, the time we spend with them, service to the church and others.

He offered another thing we could serve - our homes.  Do we spend hours and countless dollars in the goal to make our homes the envy of others?  Do we clean it, polish it, and decorate it will our of our resources and our hearts?  He's not saying we shouldn't keep a clean, beautiful home - but that we need to keep it in perspective.

I'll leave you with the center of the sermon that really made hubby and I think, and have some very heartfelt conversations over lunch last Sunday afternoon - "But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD"  Joshua 24:15

We made a committment to God, to our church, and to each other that day at the end of the service.  OUR house will serve the Lord.  It was one of the most moving moments I have experienced with my husband.