The pace of the world is increasing to a neck-breaking speed. Many seem to be on a treadmill where they must run as fast as they can to stay in the same place.

With everyone rushing around us, it is wise to bring ourselves to a halt and see where we are and where we are going. In the rush we can easily lose sight of the truly important things. In the constitution of the United States it says that one of the rights of its citizens is the pursuit of happiness. Many are so engrossed in the pursuit that they never find it.

Since the stream of life is flowing by at such a tremendous pace it is well for us to stand to the side and contemplate our position to get the true perspective. Sometimes we cannot see the forest because of the trees. Where are we going? Where does our duty lie? What do we want to accomplish in our life time? Solomon sums it up very well when he says: ”Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments: for this is the whole duty of man” (Ecc. 12:13). It is apparent most have not reached the same conclusion that Solomon did. In their pursuit of happiness and wealth they haven’t time to keep HIS commandments. The worldly wise spend their energies on things that have no lasting value. They learn too late that all the things in this life are vanity and vexation of spirit. ”Only one life – ’Twill soon be past. Only what’s done for Christ will last.”

Jesus tells us about the foolish rich man who pulled down his barns and built greater and said, ”There will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul, ’Soul, thou has much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink and b” merry.’ But God said unto him, ’Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?’ ” Jesus then drives home the lesson by saying, ”So is he that layeth up treasures for himself and is not rich toward God” (Luke 12:18). How short-sighted most men are! While pursuing wealth and happiness they go spiritually bankrupt.

Let us be wise. We must not be caught up in the swirl of this world and be swept into the stream of life that leads to destruction. There are only two groups. We are either the children of God or the children of mammon. We cannot serve both. The whole duty of man is to fear God and keep His commandments. Within His promises and commandments lies not the right to pursue happiness, but the assurance that they that are ”wise shall shine as the brightest of the firmament and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever” (Dan. 12:3).

The choice is ours. Now is the time to be wise, now is the time to turn many to righteousness, now is the time to fear God and keep His commandments.

We must pull out of the bustling broad way, and quietly and patiently prepare to meet the Lord Jesus Christ when He returns to establish God’s Kingdom on earth. We can do this by reserving some time each day for God. During this time we should get off by ourselves and read His book, contemplate upon His promises and pray through His son, our Lord and Saviour. If we will do this each day we will keep our balance in the jostling crowd around us and we shall find that peace of God that passeth all understanding.

May we be wise and realize that regardless of the pressures and anxieties that we face in our lives, in the final analysis we have one duty: ”Fear God and keep His commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.”