If we were asked what our three primary concerns are on a daily basis we would each give different answers in some way. However, some areas may overlap such as what we are going to eat, our need to earn an income, and taking care of our family. While these things are important they should not be our top concern as Christians. Instead, as Bible-believing followers of Christ, our primary concerns every day should be our faith, our family’s faith, and the faith of everyone we meet. The other concerns we have may be important but the most important thing in this life is faith that leads to salvation.
Making your own faith your primary daily concern is not self-centered. Nor is it because you are more worried about saving yourself than others. The simple truth is that you can never properly build up the faith of others if your own faith is not stable. It is similar to the fact that you can’t stabilize one thing with another thing that has a shaky foundation. If you try it will only result in both things falling down. You could also say it is like taking the beam out of your own eye before trying to remove the twig from someone else’s eye.
Matthew 7:3–5 (ESV)
3 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.
So before we concern ourselves with the faith of our family and others we must first get our own faith in check every day. This is done through prayer, time spent in God’s word, and looking over your life to ensure you have not allowed sinful behavior to creep in.
1 Thessalonians 5:17 (ESV)
17 pray without ceasing,
Joshua 1:8 (ESV)
8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.
2 Corinthians 13:5 (ESV)
5 Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!
2 Peter 1:10 (ESV)
10 Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall.
Our family’s faith comes next because normally they are the ones we see the most every day. Since that is often the case our greatest impact as Christians will be on them. Similarly, because we see them more than anyone else we will be the first to notice when issues of faith arise in their lives and are able to quickly address them. We cannot be concerned about the faith of the world and not first show concern for the faith of those in our own homes. The Bible emphasizes the need for Christians to build faith in their homes.
Proverbs 22:6 (ESV)
6 Train up a child in the way he should go;
even when he is old he will not depart from it.
Deuteronomy 6:5–7 (ESV)
5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 6 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.
1 Timothy 3:4–5 (ESV)
4 He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, 5 for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church?
At times we all wonder why we are here on this earth. Every single Christian has a purpose and it is to share the gospel with others. That’s why every day the faith of those we meet should be one of our concerns. This is for a few key reasons. The first being we know the perils that lay ahead for all those who don’t turn their lives to God.
Matthew 25:46 (ESV)
46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
Romans 6:23 (ESV)
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Matthew 25:41 (ESV)
41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
Revelation 21:8 (ESV)
8 But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”
Similarly, we know of the great gifts God pours out on those who do turn their life to Him. Like joy, peace, mercy, love, and eternal life in Heaven just to name a few.
Galatians 5:22–23 (ESV)
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
2 Thessalonians 3:16 (ESV)
16 Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all.
1 Peter 1:3 (ESV)
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
John 3:16–17 (ESV)
16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
Revelation 21:4 (ESV)
4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
Concerning ourselves with the faith of others is also one of the final things Jesus told His followers to do. He said to go into all nations and make disciples teaching them about Him. Seeing the lost saved should be one of our primary concerns because it is one of God’s primary concerns.
Matthew 28:19–20 (ESV)
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
It is important to note that none of these stand-alone but must be united. They are in order for a reason the primary concerns of Christians should always be their faith, that of their family, and then the faith of the world. As we already said your faith must come first because you will never be able to inspire faith in another unless your own is solid.
In that way putting your faith first is not selfish but to only put your faith first and never concern yourself with the faith of another is nothing but selfish. Our faith should cause us to be concerned with the faith of everyone else. We should want to see everyone submit their life to God and receive salvation. That is what God wants to see and that is what those who place their trust in Him should also want to see.
2 Peter 3:9 (ESV)
9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance
1 Timothy 2:3–4 (ESV)
3 This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
We all have concerns and they differ from person to person. But these three concerns should come first and be the same for every believer. Nothing is more important than knowing God. Not income, food, entertainment, or anything else this world has to offer.
Every day we should wake up with these three concerns on our minds. Making it our goal to have a positive impact on ourselves, our family, and those around us. All the other things we find ourselves concerned with will pass away but our faith will remain. Hopefully, because we put these concerns first we will be able to say that our faith, our family’s faith, and that of those we encountered along the way will all stretch into eternity.
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