Jesus told the woman at the well, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I shall give will never thirst.” We should take these words to heart. Too often we immerse ourselves in this life and spend too little time looking toward the next. This Lent is a good time to refocus our priorities and turn our attention more fully toward God.
Dr. Arthur Brooks points out that money, power, pleasure, and honor are some of the main things people chase in this life. Each of us tends to lean toward one of these more than the others. The challenge is to identify which one is our weakness and then put countermeasures in place to overcome it. At their core, these temptations come from focusing too much on ourselves instead of on others and on God. Ironically, this self-focus harms us in the long run because selfishness isolates us from both others and from God.
We can also become too absorbed in this world through excessive worry. Our country is now involved in a war with Iran, and other nations could join the conflict as well. I am a diehard optimist, yet even I feel nervous at times. Jesus reminds us, “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides.” He also tells us not to worry about tomorrow and teaches that if God cares for the birds, how much more will He care for us.
Instead of focusing mainly on nourishing the body and mind, we should make nourishing the soul our primary goal. We should keep an open line of communication with God and work to build spiritual wealth. Rather than worrying about the things of this life, let’s keep our eyes fixed on Jesus and on our next life with Him in Heaven.
