THE RIGHT QUEST
Philippians 3:18-19
For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things.
Our world is changing so rapidly. These changes have shown up in the hunting and fishing world as well. Hunting and fishing have always been somewhat of a quest, a quest for meat to feed our families, a quest for relaxation, a quest a quiet time in nature, a quest to spend time with friends and family and so on. We've come to a place in hunting where the quest for a trophy, a true record book animal has consumed many. Just this past year in fishing tournaments where we saw someone banned for life, because they had stuffed lead weights into their catch to win a tournament.
There are many stories of hunters and fisherman that had such a desire to be a big name in the outdoor world that they would do anything to make it happen. There have been men that have passed off someone else's harvest as their own, hunted and fished in areas closed to protect the fish and animals, shot tame animals etc, all so they could gain fame and put their name in a record book or win a tournament. Many have lost their jobs, their families, their friends and their dignity all for the quest.
Hunting and fishing are just a couple examples. Financial success (or the look of success) is another strong driving force to get people to break the rules to achieve.
In Paul's letter to the church in Philippi, he warns against setting our minds on earthly things. In Ecclesiastes 1, the writer tells how the quest for all earthly things is vanity. It has no lasting value.
So what does have value? The Apostle Paul ends his letter to the church in Philippi with these words.
Philippians 4:8
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
So what is true, noble, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent or praiseworthy? Only the things of our God.
Make sure your quest is directed towards Him and Him alone. All else is meaningless.
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