Who is the gatekeeper of heaven? Do you know the way? Is it like filling out an application for a job or admission to a school? Is it like buying a ticket for a long journey? You know the way and have applied for admission. You know that your application has been accepted. Does this place you in a position to rule on the applications of other people? If they want to apply on the basis of kindness to the least of these am I able to process their application accordingly? Will you object if I rule in their favor? What would be your standing to object?

Are you knowledgeable? You acquire knowledge by study and some has more value than others. Knowledge of technical systems may help you to earn a living or derive all the benefits of available technology where knowledge of sports statistics and popular culture would not. But even knowledge that is useful may have a limited lifetime. The technology you work with can become obsolete with time and your knowledge of systems declines with age. But there is knowledge that endures. Seek ye first the Kingdom of God for the knowledge you acquire about eternal things endures forever.

Do you view your life as a comedy or a tragedy? Or something else? These were the categories of ancient theater. The term comedy is still in common use for this, but the term tragedy is used for real world events. It is unavoidable that you will experience some suffering in life. Does this make your life a tragic story? Yet even in the ancient dramas those with tragic flaws and events could bear them with dignity and retain their character and learn from them. How do you respond to your own tragic life events? Do I sustain you in them and use them for your development and transformation?

Are you seeking wisdom? This is a pursuit highly commended in the Bible. Do you compare it to looking for your car keys? These are vastly different activities. You expect the search for your keys to be short and focused and when you find them the search is over and you can get on to your next activity. You can expect the search for wisdom to take a lifetime. It doesn’t have a ‘eureka’ moment when that which you desire is found once and for all. Hopefully you will retain the wisdom you obtain along the way as you continue your search. Don’t be discouraged.