If we’re going to get our lives in order we have to start with our priorities. We need to look honestly at what gets the most attention in our lives. Perhaps it’s our kids, our careers, or our marriages. For others of us it might be our position in society or in upholding a our reputations. Whatever you deem most important will get the most of your time and attention. Does God make your list?
If we allow temporary, less important things to dominate our lives we’ll never experience the fulfillment of all that God offers us. That’s why the first foundational principle in this series is all about God’s place in our lives.
Principle One: God Has to Be Your First Priority
Our priorities set us on a trajectory through life. In other words, our priorities determine who we are and where we’re going. We see this idea peppered throughout the Bible. If God isn’t first, then we will set ourselves on a course that takes us further away from God’s plan for us.
Matthew 22:37 Jesus replied, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.”
Matthew 6:24 No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money.
God is clear in his word that he can’t be anything but first on our priority list. Our understanding of who God is and what he’s done in our lives should shape everything else about us. After all, he gives us what we need for every other area of our lives. He is the one that gives us peace, protection, understanding, and opportunities to accomplish what he has for us.
We can look at a brief story in the Gospel of Luke that shows this principle in action. It was controversial for men to interact with women, let alone spend time teaching women in the first century. Yet Jesus took the time to go to the house of sisters Mary and Martha.
Luke 10:38-42 As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught. But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.” But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.”
Mary understood that the most important thing she could do that day was sit at the feet of Jesus and listen to what he had to say. Martha chose to get caught up in the “to do” list that she missed out on the opportunity to sit and learn from Jesus.
How Can You Prioritize God?
- Read your Bible.
- Find a topic on PursueGOD.org and talk about it with someone.
- Pray.
- Find a small group or mentor to hold you accountable.
Let’s not be so busy with other, less important things, and forget to just sit at the feet of Jesus. He deserves to be our first priority.
Discussion Questions:
- Watch the video together or invite someone to summarize the topic.
- What is your initial reaction to this video? Do you disagree with any of it? What jumped out at you?
- Make a list of your biggest priorities right now. Why have those made the list?
- On a scale from 1-10, how overwhelmed do you feel by your life? Explain.
- How have your current priorities influenced the overall direction of your life? Do you feel good about the current direction you are heading? Explain.
- Have there been times when God has been a bigger priority for you and how did that affect the quality of your life?
- Read Matthew 6:24. Why can’t we serve more than one master? How have you learned this lesson in your own life?
- Read Luke 10:38-42. Are you more of a Mary or a Martha. Defend your answer. In your own words, what is the point of this story?
- How do you currently spend time with God? How can you begin to make God more of a priority?
- Write a personal action step based on this conversation.
