Now therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts; Consider your ways. Haggai 1.5,7
The word for you and me today is simple. Consider your ways. Literally, “set your heart upon your ways,” that is, take to heart, in the sense of thinking seriously about what we are doing. The phrase “consider your ways” here in Haggai addresses the principal issue that needed to be dealt with by God’s people. Their personal comfort and ease took precedence over the will and purposes of The Lord. Every child of God deals with tension between living for self or living for the will of God.
Thus, the need to consider your ways. The need to “take a step back” and take inventory of the priorities in my life. The people were building expensive homes, but saying that it wasn’t time to build the house of God. The result of choosing self over God ended in poverty of soul and spirit. The same holds true today. When we put our kingdom and our will above or before God’s kingdom and God’s will, there will be poverty in our souls. Uneasiness. Restlessness. No real peace or joy. Augustine said something like, “Man was made for God, and man will never find peace until they find Him.” When man lives for man, they end up with an. But when man lives for God, there is a satisfaction that the temporal pleasures of this world are unable to match.
Beloved, simplify your life. Here’s how. Consider Jesus and when you look into His face, consider your ways. It’s tough to be selfish when you are fellowshipping with Jesus. Align your heart and your prayers with God’s heart and the will and ways of God, beloved. When Jesus said, “Follow Me”, He meant consider your ways.
