Priorities
Living Within God’s Design
What are your highest priorities in life? Who is most important to you? How does your calendar reflect your priorities? What is distracting you from living within God’s design?
Lately, I find it more and more difficult to stay on track with my priorities. I find myself being very distracted by so-called urgent items. At times I feel guilty if I fight to keep my priorities in order rather than helping someone else out with a task or need. Even worse, I will prioritize my service to God (this ministry, church duties, volunteering, etc) over the priorities He has clearly placed ahead of my service opportunities.
God’s design for my life begins with HIM.
If I am too busy to spend time with God, there’s a problem. EVEN if the busy is ministry work. The devil will do anything to distract us, including using our service to God to keep us from deepening our relationship with Him.
But seek first the kingdom of God, and these things will be added to you. -Matthew 6:33
And he said to him, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” -Matthew 22:37
The key to having God’s ‘abundant life’s keeping Him in His rightful place in our priorities. -Joyce Meyer
We must make time with God a priority in our lives, not just for us personally but also together as a family.
Speaking of family…
God’s design for my family places marriage as the foundation.
A strong marriage relationship contributes more significantly to the stability of a home more than any other factor. Your spouse should be your #1 earthly priority.
Every family is only as strong as the marriage inside of it. -Joanne Kraft
Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife and they shall become one flesh. -Genesis 2:24
If you are a wife, you must put your husband first. Even if he opposes our message, you will win him over by what you do. No one else will have to say anything to him, because he will see how you honor God and live a pure life. -1 Peter 3:1-2 CET
…each man must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband. -Ephesians 5:33
Don’t place your marriage on hold while you’re raising your kids or else you’ll end up with an empty nest and an empty marriage. –Marriage 365
Let us treat out spouses as the treasured gift from God that they are.
God’s design places children (and everyone else) after Him and our spouse.
We live in an era of entitlement, especially regarding our children. Somehow, society has convinced us that our world must revolve around our children’s needs and desires or their spirits will be crushed. Nothing could be further from the truth. It is scientifically proven that children thrive a home with a healthy, affectionate, loving marriage at the helm.
Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old, he will not depart from it. -Proverbs 22:6
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then, you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is- his good, pleasing and perfect will. -Romans 12:2
Our children will thrive when we follow God’s design for our lives. And guess what? They will get married someday, and WE are the model for what marriage looks like. At the very least, let that be incentive for living out God’s order of priorities.
Your priorities aren’t what you say they are. They are revealed by how you live.
Your time, energy, and money always go to what is most important to you. -Larry Winget
God, spouse, kids. In that order. Then family, ministry, work, and all those other things. Order your priorities according to God’s design and plan on seeing the blessing that comes.
