Absorbed with God

Paul was concerned with what holds our highest attention: earthly concerns, or God. Essentially, he asks, “Are you consumed with things of this world: your marriages, your emotions, your possessions? Are you preoccupied with today? Or are you captivated with God and the new world that God promises?”

These questions are still relevant. What preoccupies your time, your thoughts, and your desires? Are you immersed in concerns that draw your attention to what the world offers—your own happiness and possessions? Or are you absorbed with God and serving God?

As a hospice chaplain I met a woman whom I’ll call Florence. Florence was dying of cancer. We talked weekly for many months, and I learned much from her. Florence taught me that choosing God over temporal preoccupations is difficult because we have love and attachments. She also taught me that it is possible and necessary to make that choice. We talked often about her sorrow at the thought of leaving her beloved husband, children, and granddaughter, and how she chose God even while knowing the pull of earthly loves. Until her final breath, she loved her family; but she chose God as her ultimate preoccupation.

Paul acknowledges our temporal concerns and loves but reminds us of a higher, more important preoccupation. Paul challenges us to look to God as our first and highest loyalty. Is that easy? No, it’s usually difficult. With God’s loving presence and the witness of people like Florence, though, it is possible.