ADJUSTING YOUR AIM
2 CORINTHIANS 5:9-10 NKJV
9 Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.
I enjoy this chapter immensely. This is one of those chapters you could read every day for the month of July, and it would be a great benefit. And don't worry. Adding a chapter to your reading plan is not like eating while on vacation. This extra will bless you.
Chapter Five covers some spiritual territory. Starting with our bodies being compared to a tent. Our spirits are eternal, but our bodies are temporary. This chapter also contains a verse we often quote in our church. If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things are passed away, and all things have become new. What a marvelous truth that in Christ, we get a new start with a new heart.
In verse nine, Paul mentions what our aim should be. What are we shooting for? What is the target of our life? This is not an insignificant question. What is the aim of our life?
Paul says that we make it our aim. He is being very intentional as to a key goal in his life. This is not a random thing that may or may not come our way. This is an aim we choose. To be well pleasing to Him. Here is an important target, to be pleasing to the Lord.
And then Paul shares a powerful but often overlooked truth. We will all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. Not just preachers or church staff; all will stand before the Lord. And we will receive what we did on earth, good or bad. Our life down here matters to the Lord. And there are consequences to our actions.
This judgment seat of Christ is not for unbelievers. Nor is this the determining factor as to whether we go to heaven or hell. No, our eternal destination was established when we made Jesus the Savior of our life. So we are confident of heaven as our home when we leave this earth. This is where we give an account of ourselves and receive from the Lord. Sobering? Absolutely. Encouraging? A definite yes! We have something to say about how we live our lives down here. This is why our aim is so important.
APPLICATION:
There is an adage regarding target practice; you hit what you aim for. If you were at a shooting range with other people, you want them to be aiming in the right place. Not at you.
By the same token, we still hit what we aim for in life. If our entire aim is to be happy, I have some bad news. Aiming only to be happy has been proven to be ineffective. Aiming to have a life free from problems is not realistic. Aiming simply to survive can lead to greater struggles.
But aiming to please God and to live for the Lord Jesus is such a noble goal. And that aim produces much of the happiness, contentment, and security that we long for. And those are benefits for our time here on earth. Paul wrote Timothy and told him that godliness, living for God, would benefit us in this life and the one to come. Eternal blessings are in play.
Adjusting our aim is something we all do. This is a part of our life that we constantly maintain. We want to be well pleasing to the Lord!
PRAYER:
Lord, help me to adjust my aim. I don't want to spend my life limiting myself to the temporary things of this life. Show me the areas where I can be more pleasing to You.