Tag: priorities

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One Thing

Daily Reading

1Corinthians 15-16

Daily Thought

The movie is City Slickers. Billy Crystal plays Mitch Robins, a man celebrating his 39th birthday and dealing (poorly) with a midlife crisis. Jack Palance plays Curly Washburn, a crusty old cowboy. “Do you know what the secret of life is?” Curly asks Mitch. Mitch shakes his head no. Curly holds up one finger. “One thing. Just one thing.”

“That’s great. But what’s the one thing?” asked Mitch.

Curly grinned, “That’s what you’ve got to figure out.” 

Mitch is perplexed; he’s worried about lots of things. That’s why he left the city and came to the ranch, but he didn’t know what the one thing was. I don’t think Curly knew, either. Not really. But the Apostle Paul knew, “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day” (1Corinthians 15:3-4). Without the resurrection, says Paul, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die” (1Corinthians 15:32). You only live once… if Jesus Christ was not raised from the dead.

But he was, and “he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve, then to more than five hundred brothers at one time” (1Corinthians 15:5-6), and the resurrection of Jesus Christ changes everything. You live once, and then you live again, because “in Christ shall all be made alive” (1Corinthians 15:22), and the first life is a shadow of things to come. “What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power” (1Corinthians 15:42-43). The secret to life is not to figure out what is the one thing that matters most to you, but the one thing that matters most, period, and make that the one thing that matters most to you.

“Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” ~Matthew 6:33

Daily Prayer

Father God, the most important thing, the one thing out of everything, is You. To love You with all that I am, my heart, soul, mind, and strength. In doing this, I will, at the same time, love others as much or more than myself, because that is what You did. In humility, You sacrificed Your Son for me, for each of us, for all of us.

God, grow Your love in me. May You be not the first of many, but rather my one and only consuming passion.

Amen

Daily Question

What would those who know you best say is the one thing most important to you? Why?

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Chase What Matters

Daily Reading

Mark 10-11

Daily Thought

A rich man ran up to Jesus “and knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” (Mark 10:17). He is earnest, well-mannered, respectful. Jesus told him to follow the commandments and the man claimed he had since youth. He called Jesus good. He actually thinks he is good, too. His question was sincere, but really, he wanted Jesus to assure him he was safe, keep up the good work. “And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, ‘You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me’” (Mark 10:21). Jesus loved him too much to give him the answer he wanted. Eternity demands everything, so Jesus told the man to give away the one thing he would not. “Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions” (Mark 10:22).

Chase Bank promoted their credit card with an ad showing a man standing inside a store, drooling before a big wall of big flat screens. In the background, the music blares with a song by Queen, “I want it all. I want it all. I want it all. And I want it now.” The scene changes, the man and his wife at home on their couch staring at what he bought with his Chase Bank credit card, “It’s perfect.” Appearing on the screen, big letters: “Chase what matters”

The rich man believed he obeyed the commandments, that he loved the Lord God with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his might” (Deuteronomy 6:5), but he would not love God with all his money.

For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? ~Mark 8:36

Chase Bank has the right message, but got it wrong. Peter got it right, “See, we have left everything and followed you” (Mark 10:28). That is “Chase what matters!”

“Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” ~Matthew 6:33

Chase what REALLY matters–and you get it all, all that matters.

Daily Prayer

God, I think about what Your Son left to come to me. He did not consider being God something to hang on to if it meant He could save me. Your Son allowed my sin to break His relationship with You, His Father. He left what was closest to Him and became sin. He took my sin because of His love for me.

I release my hold on everything, God. May nothing stand between me and You. May my love for You be complete and full. Most of all, I give up myself. I am off the throne, and You are in charge. I die to myself, and the life I now live is Yours.

Amen

Daily Question

What are the things that compete with God in your life for what really matters?

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God First

Daily Reading

Haggai 1-2

Daily Thought

The people of Judah had returned from exile in Babylon, commissioned by the Persian king Cyrus to rebuild the city of Jerusalem and its Temple. They half completed the project before they became half-hearted and the work stopped. For almost two decades the work had been ignored and the Temple remained in ruins when Haggai stood before the people and berated them, “Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins?” (Haggai 1:4). It was not that Judah did not have the means to finish the Temple because they had the means to finish their homes. It was a choice, and it was me first, which is always what we choose when it is not God.

The irony is “me first” serves me least. “Consider your ways. You have sown much, and harvested little. You eat, but you never have enough; you drink, but you never have your fill. You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm. And he who earns wages does so to put them into a bag with holes” (Haggai 1:5-6). God saves the best for last, and those who put him first will feast at his table. This time, the people listened to their God and obeyed, “and they came and worked on the house of the Lord of hosts, their God” (Haggai 1:14).

“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” ~Matthew 6:33

Daily Prayer

My God, I love You with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. My life is committed fully to You. May the life I live reflect my devotion to You. Where I work, may I serve You by serving others. In my home, may I build my house on the solid foundation of Your Word. In my neighborhood, may I love my neighbor as myself.

May the things I do be for You first and bring You praise and glory.

Amen

Daily Question

Who do you think of first, yourself or God?

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God Is One

Daily Reading

Psalm 26-31

Daily Thought

Deuteronomy 6:4, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one,” is called the Shema by the Jewish people. It is the centerpiece of Hebrew worship. The word Shema means “Hear,” the first word of the verse. A Hebrew will utter the Shema twice daily, their first words in the morning and final words before bed. A daily reminder that there is one, and only one, God, and he is our God and we are his people.

The message of the Shema undergirds all the Psalms: “The Lord is my light and my salvation; The Lord is the stronghold of my life” (Psalm 27:1). The Lord our God, the Lord is one. But more than the Lord one, he is number one. God is the preeminent of all of life. 

One thing have I asked of the Lord,
that will I seek after:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord
and to inquire in his temple. ~Psalm 27:4

How many walk into church as if God should be glad they are there? David, rather, sought God’s permission to enter! When the Shema becomes the center of life, our Sunday morning question changes from “Do we have to go to church today?” to “Do we get to go to church today?”

Our social apps invite us to post photos in the places we visit. One family took a selfie at church on a Sunday morning and commented, “God 1st.” Later that afternoon, the family took another, this time at Oracle Park, “Baseball 2nd ~ Go GIANTS!!!” 

They got it right. God is One. Everything else get in line.

Daily Prayer

God, my Savior, I offer myself, body, soul, and spirit, as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to You. I love You, heart, soul, mind, and strength. Transform me, God, to reflect Your glory, to resemble Your Son.

You would rather I obey Your Word than play at religion. My obedience is not merely a demonstration of righteousness, but a display of love. I want to know Your Word, follow Your ways, and live in Your love. God, my strength comes from You; my life centers around You. Nothing more, nothing less.

Amen

Daily Question

What is first in your life? Is it obvious?

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God Is One

Daily Reading

Psalm 26-31

Daily Thought

The Shema is the centerpiece of the Hebrew prayer life. Shema means “Hear,” and it is the first word of Deuteronomy 6:4, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one,” a prayer many Jews utter twice daily, their first words in the morning and final words before bed. A daily reminder that there is one, and only one, God, and he is our God and we are his people.

The Shema is the predominate sense of the Psalms. “The Lord is my light and my salvation; The Lord is the stronghold of my life” (Psalm 27:1). The Lord our God, the Lord is one. But more than that, the Lord is not only one, he is number 1. When that’s true, our Sunday morning language changes from “Do we have to go to church today?” to “Do we get to go to church today?”

One thing have I asked of the Lord,
that will I seek after:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord
and to inquire in his temple. ~Psalm 27:4

How many walk into church as if God should be glad they are there? David sought God’s permission to enter!

Our social apps invite us to check in at the places we visit. One family checked in to church on a Sunday morning and commented, “God 1st.” Later that afternoon, the family checked in again, this time at Oracle Park, “Baseball 2nd ~ Go GIANTS!!!” Wrong team (Go DODGERS!), but they got it right. God is One. Everything else get in line.

Daily Prayer

God, my Savior, I offer myself, body, soul, and spirit, as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to You. I love You, heart, soul, mind, and strength. Transform me, God, to reflect Your glory, to resemble Your Son.

You would rather I obey than play religion. My obedience is not a demonstration of my righteousness, but a sign of my love. I want to know Your Word, follow Your ways, and live in Your love. God, my strength comes from You; my life centers around You. Nothing more, nothing less.

Amen

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God First

Daily Reading

Genesis 41-42

Daily Thought

Seventeen-year-old Joseph had two dreams of his future. Real dreams, the kind that show up when you are asleep. Sheaves of wheat in one, the sun, moon, and stars in the other, and they all bowed down to Joseph. Those dreams spoke of great promise someday, but so far, they had been nothing but trouble. Joseph, the “dreamer” his brothers called him, had been disowned by his family, enslaved in Egypt, and forgotten in prison.  

Joseph, now 30, is sitting in a dark prison cell, when he is called before the Pharaoh. “I have had a dream,” said Pharaoh, “and there is no one who can interpret it. I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it” (Genesis 41:15). 

If you are Joseph, how do you feel about that? You once had dreams. God showed you a great future, but nothing so far has come of it. Joseph could say, “Me first, God. What about the answers to my dreams?” But he didn’t. Instead, Joseph replied to Pharaoh, “It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires” (Genesis 41:16). Joseph said, “God first,” and told Pharaoh the meaning of his dreams.

That is when Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has shown you all this, there is none so discerning and wise as you are. You shall be over my house, and all my people shall order themselves as you command. Only as regards the throne will I be greater than you” (Genesis 41:39-40). And they all bowed down to Joseph, the dreamer. The dreams came true.

Joseph’s story had a happy ending, but Joseph didn’t know that when Pharaoh asked for his help. What Joseph did know was the first thing to do is put God first.

“Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33).

Daily Prayer

Heavenly Father, You called me and saved me in order to make me like Your Son, my Lord Jesus Christ. Change me, day by day, by the work of Your Holy Spirit, so that I may grow more like Jesus in all that I think and say and do.

Help me to remain faithful to You and Your calling upon my life.  Strengthen and grow my trust in You, as the trials and experiences of life shape my faith.  You know best, God.  Help me remember that.  It’s amazing how much different, how much better, how good my life is, when I put You first.

Amen