What Matters

Thursday - November 11th

Scripture to Read Today: Luke 12:22-34

---

Seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.

Luke 12:31

Today we honor our nation's veterans. We recognize the service, bravery, and sacrifice of the men and women who have served and are serving in the U.S. armed forces. If it were not for these courageous folks, we could not enjoy the freedom and rights we have as citizens. After traveling around the world over the last three decades, I appreciate the great liberties we enjoy as Americans. I am thankful for every man and woman who has served and fought for our freedom.

Why do people serve our country in uniform? Why do they put themselves in harm's way to keep our democracy secure?

They know what matters. They know that treating people with equality and dignity matters. They understand that every human should be able to pursue life, liberty, and happiness. They believe our rights to religion, free speech, and self-determination make us better as individuals and as a nation. They know what matters.

To all veterans and their families, THANK YOU! May God bless you with a unique sense of His presence and peace today!

As followers of Christ, all of us can learn an important lesson from the veterans we celebrate today. We need to make sure we understand and embrace what really matters to Christ and His Kingdom. Jesus told us in his famous Sermon on the Mount that when we know what matters to God and pursue that, then all that we need in life fits in place. "Seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well" (Luke 12:31).

When we focus on Christ's eternal values, priorities, love, and truth, we focus on His Kingdom. If you pursue all that Christ offers, you pursue what really matters. That kind of pursuit results in the less essential, but sometimes significant, stuff falling in place.

We don't have to worry about or sweat everything else when we know and prioritize what truly matters.