{"id":5112,"date":"2017-10-23T00:06:23","date_gmt":"2017-10-23T05:06:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tampaseo.expert\/focus\/?p=5112"},"modified":"2017-10-23T00:06:23","modified_gmt":"2017-10-23T05:06:23","slug":"in-pursuit-of-the-best","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tampaseo.expert\/focus\/2017\/10\/23\/in-pursuit-of-the-best\/","title":{"rendered":"In Pursuit of the Best"},"content":{"rendered":"

 
\n\u201cThe best the world has to offer\u201d is the marketing catchphrase for a popular bank credit card.<\/em> It\u2019s a catchy slogan meant to convey the message: \u201cThis card must be good!\u201d Think of all the good things, yes even the best things, this world has to offer. Whether it is the finest silks, cottons, or leathers, the most luxurious cars or mansions, delectable foods, fine art, watches, rugs, furniture, or even spectacular entertainment and all the splendor of this world\u2019s treasures, the best of this world is as varied as it is delightful. And to think, it could all be yours \u2013 if you only had the right credit card! <\/em>
\n\u00a0<\/strong>
\nOf course, the marketing folks don\u2019t say that exactly. <\/strong>
\n 
\nHowever, the phrase itself is worth considering. \u201cThe best the world has to offer\u201d sounds very familiar. Does it sound familiar to you? Would it sound more familiar phrased like this? Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to Him, \u201cAll these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me\u201d (Matthew 4:8-9).
\n 
\nIn this passage of scripture, the devil is in the midst of his infamously great temptations of Jesus. In this, the last of the three recorded temptations, the devil offers Jesus \u201cthe best the world has to offer.\u201d He shows Jesus all the kingdoms of the world \u2013 and their glory. He then offers Jesus what the devil thought was a pretty sweet deal \u2013 \u201cIt can all be yours IF you will ONLY fall down and worship me!\u201d The devil thought he\u2019d saved the best and strongest temptation for last!.
\n 
\nJesus, of course, did not fall down and worship the devil \u2013 although he was tempted by the \u201cbest the world had to offer.\u201d Jesus looked beyond what this world had to offer and remembered the glory of The Father and cast his allegiance with Him. As a man in today\u2019s society, is your sole motivation the seeking of \u201cthe best the world has to offer?\u201d If so, please reconsider. Please realize, like Jesus, that this world\u2019s glory is fleeting at best and at worst offers empty promises of happiness. Please see clearly, like Moses, that the \u2018treasures of Egypt\u2019 are nothing when compared with the reward that awaits the faithful (Hebrews 11:25-27). Or consider Solomon, who having been there and done that realized a pursuit of \u201cthe best the world has to offer\u201d apart from God is empty and vain (Ecclesiastes 5:10-16)?
\n 
\nJesus, in Mark 8:36-37, asks the probing question, \u201cWhat will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his soul? Or, what will a man give in exchange for his soul?\u201d Try to imagine acquiring all of this world\u2019s goods (impossible, really to imagine). Is that worth more than your soul? Jesus emphatically replies, \u201cNo\u201d. Despite what you might hear to the contrary from the advertisements and commercials that bombard us daily, we must guard our hearts and minds from beginning to believe that \u201cthe best this world has to offer\u201d is something we need \u2013 and must pursue to our deaths! When we give our lives to the pursuit of happiness through external means and temporary pleasures, we are indeed \u201cgrasping for the wind\u201d (Ecclesiastes 2:1-11). Instead, why not begin today by living a new thought life? Rather than falling prey to the latest and greatest fads or must-haves, begin to explore the contentment and peace that comes from nurturing a relationship with God. Spend time in prayer thanking Him for the countless blessings that are often overlooked. Remember all that you do have rather than grousing about that which you don\u2019t have. Begin pursuing ways in which you can give back versus always striving to get ahead. Concentrate more time, energy, and resources on making preparation for the glories of the hereafter.
\n 
\nHeaven will surely be worth more than \u201cthe best this world has to offer!\u201d For just a moment, should we not examine our lives by asking, \u201cWhat am I doing to store up my treasure there?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

  \u201cThe best the world has to offer\u201d is the marketing catchphrase for a popular bank credit card. It\u2019s a catchy slogan meant to convey the message: \u201cThis card must be good!\u201d Think of all the good things, yes even the best things, this world has to offer. Whether it is the finest silks, cottons, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"give_campaign_id":0,"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[66],"tags":[1072,995,1037,1073,1074,593,1075,647],"class_list":["post-5112","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-think-excerpts","tag-devil","tag-man-to-man","tag-march-2006","tag-materialism","tag-satan","tag-temptation","tag-treasure","tag-worldliness","et-doesnt-have-format-content","et_post_format-et-post-format-standard"],"yoast_head":"\nIn Pursuit of the Best - Focus Press<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/tampaseo.expert\/focus\/2017\/10\/23\/in-pursuit-of-the-best\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"In Pursuit of the Best - Focus Press\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"  \u201cThe best the world has to offer\u201d is the marketing catchphrase for a popular bank credit card. 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