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Prioritize Your Life

    Life is full of wonderful gifts from God. Our families, jobs, friends, hobbies etc. The Lord loves to bless His children like any good Father would. However, how we treat those gifts shows the condition of our heart. All of the things I named are good, but nothing is good if held in higher importance than Jesus.

Luke 12:34 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. (ESV)

James 1:17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. (NIV)

     It is easy to push Jesus aside when something else calls for your time and attention. Even now, I could be studying and skipping this blog entry. We think to ourselves that it would be okay to miss church a couple times or give up some time with the Lord to get other things done. I am not telling you that doing either of those statements is wrong, but I am warning you that it starts small.

   I know many people who were blessed with great jobs by Jesus. Unfortunately, the money became more enticing and more important than Jesus. Sooner or later they were working on Sundays and skipping any time with their church family. They slowly slipped away from the community and back into the world without even recognizing an issue. The devil's power is in his craft. He is so subtle and sly when working in our lives. He starts by planting small thoughts in our minds and telling us that a little of this or that is okay. Before you know it, you're in so deep you can't see a way out.

    The wonderful thing about Jesus is that when you rely on Him above everything else, He supernaturally makes everything else work out. He makes time where there is none. He gives grace and favor generously to those who seek Him first. He is faithful to those who are faithful to Him. Don't get caught up in the lie that anything-- your work, family, school-- is a higher priority than Jesus. Pay attention to what you are giving up and what you are giving in to. Are you sacrificing Jesus for the world, or the world for Jesus?

Mark 8:36-37 For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? For what can a man give in return for his soul? (ESV)

Matthew 6:33 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. (NLT)

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