In a sermon titled SEPARATE AND DISTINCT, one Jason Jones alluded to an old story about St Augustine. As a young believer, Augustine was an avid reader of Cicero. Then he had a dream that he had died and found himself standing at the pearly gate. The keeper of the gate asked, “Who are you?” “I’m Augustine”, he replied. Again the keeper said, “What are you?” Augustine said, “I’m a Christian.” The gatekeeper said, “No, you’re not a Christian. You’re a Ciceronian!” Augustine said, “What are you talking about? I’m a Christian!” The gatekeeper told him: “All souls on earth are judged by what dominated their interests. In you, Augustine, it was not the Christ of the gospel. It was the Cicero of Roman literature. You are not a Christian. You cannot enter here!” The dream had such a profound effect on Augustine that he resolved to be fully committed to Jesus Christ and live for Him for the rest of his life.
“Anything that dominates your interest other than God and His Kingdom is a distraction and a snare.”
Here is a big question: If you were assessed by the same gatekeeper, what would he say about you? If we are judged by what dominates our hearts, what would it be? What dominates your interest? Anything that dominates your interest other than God and His Kingdom is a distraction and a snare. When they asked Jesus what the great commandment was, He told them to love the Lord their God with all their heart, soul, mind, and might. That means that God should dominate their interests. Paul’s admonition to Timothy is a noble one for us all – attention must be given to the word.