How excited everyone would be if a university were constructed on the planet Mars! But the people involved would still be subject to depression, anger, lust, jealousy, greed, envy, drunkenness. Adulterous affairs and divorce would continue. Some individuals would be gentle, loving, caring. Others would step on their associates in their ambition to be prominent or rich. In other words, the establishment of the university or fantastic scientific breakthroughs would have no real significance.

Today a professional baseball player hit another home run. Two more home runs and he will have broken an all-time record. The fans are ecstatic. His next games will be well attended, you can be sure. When he breaks the record, which is likely, there will be wild exuberance.

But the fact that someone took a stick and knocked a ball over a fence has no real meaning in the scheme of things. The world was not changed for the better. The sick were not healed. The hungry were not fed. The naked were not clothed. The tormented were not blessed with peace. The warring nations did not come to greater understanding.

Some of the baseball fans are Christians who are too much of the world. Jesus is gently wooing them to Himself, to something meaningful. But they are so excited over that which is worthless that they cannot hear His voice. He desires to prepare them for the difficult days ahead. But they have been caught off guard. They will not be ready for the age of moral horrors we are entering.

Angela Massa jumped up and down screaming because of today's home run. Now she will go home to face another domestic scene because she suspects her husband of having an affair with her best friend. The home run means absolutely nothing. How Angela, her husband, and the friend work out their problem will affect their eternal destinies. This is truly significant because our purpose of being on the earth is to learn about the Lord.

Howard Blount was excited over the home run. You can be sure he will be at the next games. As he pulls out of the parking lot he begins to think about the blood test he took this morning. He will soon learn he has a severe form of leukemia.

In a matter of months Howard will be in the spirit realm. His conduct on earth will be evaluated. Where he is assigned then is of the utmost significance.

I am not suggesting that we do not need times to get away from our problems—not at all! Rather I am pointing out how easy it is to be caught up in that which is temporary and relatively meaningless while the Lord patiently seeks our attention.

First things ought to come first. We continually should be entering an ever-deepening relationship with Christ, making this our first priority. After that we are to hold the things and activities of the world very lightly for they actually are a raucous bedlam of little true worth. They will take our crown of life from us if we are not careful to hold them down in their proper place.

To be continued.