First Baptist Church, Somerville, NJ

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Created: 01 May 2020

“SEEKING THE THINGS ABOVE”

When we ask our children today “what do you want to be when you grow up?” Most often we are looking for a tangible answer such as a teacher, lawyer, doctor, etc. While those are great answers, however, it shows that we focus on what we can see and have experienced in life. In other words we place greater weight in the world today on the visible things of life and not often on the invisible or unseen things. The apostle Paul in writing to the church at Corinth says…

“So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:18)

Paul, defines for us “the things that are seen" as things that are "transient." When we really stop to reflect, everything that you can see is temporary including the Covid-19 virus pandemic. The most beautiful flower eventually withers and falls to the ground. The sun, even on the brightest of days, still disappears over the horizon when evening comes.

While many people may understand that earthly things are transient, we continue to make our plans and live our lives according to it (or at least we think we do). For Paul these spiritual things--these "unseen" and "eternal" things--these are the things that we can count on. These are the things in which we can place our trust, knowing that if we do, we will not be disappointed. Christ alone is able to assure us of the things that we need and desire the most--the "unseen" things that are of far greater value than anything that this world has to offer. Things such like peace, love, joy, forgiveness, hope, and everlasting life. These are the things that we are to "look to,"

Imagine if we encouraged children to answer the question posed earlier with things such as “kindness, generous, strong, brave, compassionate, helper, healer, friend, and protector.” The unseen qualities of humanity at work in our hospitals, nursing homes, and food bank centers to help with saving lives from the Corona health crisis across the world in a tangible way. Our faith is built upon the unseen, the untouchable, but the undeniable and unquenchable love of God.

Let us seek to nurture in our children and one another Christian character and hope rather than our earthly possessions of money, houses and clothes and practiced humility and compassion in place of the “me first “syndrome. The unseen matters more than we know and impacts our everyday lives. The apostle Paul reminds us “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” (Philippians 4: 8).

Yours in Christ,

Pastor Loreno R. Flemmings