Therefore, if you have been raised with Christ, keep seeking the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on the things that are above, not on the things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory. Colossians 3:1-4

Wherever you are in life, it’s never a bad idea to take a hard look at the person you are and the kind of life you are leading. Take a step back and examine yourself. If you continue to live the way you’re living, what will you look like in five, ten, or twenty years. What will you look like in the afterlife? Today, let’s take this opportunity to examine our lives in three regards.

One. 

Where does everything start? What is the impetus for your actions and thoughts? Ask yourself, “Why am I doing this?” Your thoughts, emotions, happiness, and sorrow- where do they come from? When you feel happy or sad, from where do those emotions arise? Do these emotions have anything to do with God or His word? Trace your actions, emotion, and thoughts. If they don’t originate from God, they’re headed for destruction, not salvation. You fail in this world and the next. If your impetus is God and His word, you will be put “high above all the nations of the earth” and enjoy glory in the kingdom of heaven. In other words, all our actions, physical, mental, or emotional, must move according to God and His word.

Two. 

What are you working so hard to achieve? What are your goals in life? For most of us, we set goals and work hard to achieve those goals. Are you working for the kingdom of heaven or glory in this world? Are you preparing for a good place in the afterlife, or are you content with doing well in this world? In step two, examine your goals in life. Are they restricted to this world? We need to work hard and do well to succeed, not only in this world but also in the afterlife. Instead of being bogged down or stuck in a routine that allows for no self-reflection, take a hard look at why you are doing something and where those things are headed. Some of us can spend years working hard and finally wake up one day and realize it was all done in vain.

Three. 

What is your source of strength? What do you rely on to achieve your goals and live a good life? Do you depend on yourself, money, or good advice from smart people? Or do you believe in God’s miracles and blessings? In step three, examine your energy source. When you want to accomplish something or succeed, do you rely on worldly elements or do you rely solely on God and His blessings? If you rely on your knowledge, the knowledge of others, and any kind of worldly conditions for your success, you’re destined to fail. Stop and think about those things you want to achieve in life: do you place its success solely in God’s hands? This mechanism of placing our success or failure in God’s hands changes how we approach things; it changes how we live our lives!

So look at your motivation. Get them checked! Make sure God and His word are the impulses for all your actions, thoughts, and deeds. Next, examine your goals. Make sure you’re working hard to achieve the right goals. And finally, look at your energy source. To accomplish all the things you want in life, rely on God’s blessings and miracles. And when it’s all said and done, never judge success by money or material things. You could be the poorest person on earth but the richest in truth and God. You could live destitute in this world but be bountiful in the kingdom of heaven! However, for those who live an examined life, God promises to set us high above all the nations of the earth. Let’s believe in this God! 

Click for Korean sermon. https://www.yhpaikmobile.com/wp/?p=15128

Click for English Reading https://youtu.be/uuahsB1moM4