I've spent quite a bit of time this afternoon packing so I'll be ready to pull out tomorrow morning and head to Lake Conroe, Texas. While I was making my packing list, I thought that someone could easily take a look at my list and tell what I consider high priorities in my life. I'm not going away for an extended trip - only 6 days - yet there are some things that I would never contemplate leaving behind for any length of time.
As I started to review my list in light of this insight, I began to wonder if my priorities were truly in order. Do I value material things more than I do people? More than my faith? These were questions I wasn't sure that I wanted to face.
I suppose this thought about priorities was due to the sermon I heard this morning in church. It was a wonderful message on marriage and the three rights that must be forfeited in order to have a healthy, Godly marriage: the rights of priority, possession, and privacy. (I must admit that I probably only remember those three major points since building the slide show to accompany the sermon is one of the responsibilities of my position.) Since I'm not married, I wasn't sure how the bullet points would relate to my life. This afternoon I began to explore these concepts in a rather interesting way. Let me share some of my thoughts with you now.
In a nutshell, Pastor stated that when asked to list their priorities, many married men would list them in this order: God, wife, family.....and the list continues from there. Based upon the Genesis account of the creation of Adam and Eve, Pastor challenged us to consider the possibility that God didn't demand that Adam list God first. Scripture states that the man would leave father and mother in order to be joined to his wife. Now before any of you have a heart attack, let me make sure you clearly understand Pastor's statement; he was not suggesting that our first priority should not be for God. Rather, he pointed out that when a Godly man's first priority in his natural, everyday walk is to his wife, his acts of service to her become God-honoring actions. God continues to be the man's first priority in his spiritual walk. (Can you tell this sermon was a major point of discussion in my house this afternoon?)
Here's where my brain went into overdrive. Since I am not currently married, does God call me to honor Him by placing some passion in the highest priority in my natural life? Suddenly, the call to ministry on my life became much more significant to me personally. Could it be that my placing priority on music and children - the very things about which I am naturally most passionate - and my efforts in these arenas have become my God-honoring acts of service? The parallels were enlightening. A husband's passion in the natural world is for his wife; she is the object of the man's affections that he is called to serve in honor of his Creator. At this time in my life, my passions are for ministry to children and music. Doesn't it follow that the passions in my life were placed there by God in order to bring Him honor as I faithfully serve in those areas of my greatest passion? What a liberating and exciting thought! Ministry is no longer merely a vocation, but rather a God-ordained, God-designed plan for my life!
So, this brings me back to my questions about my priorities. Before I packed the first piece of clothing this afternoon, I constructed a list that included planning materials for the summer musical, a children's curriculum I need to review, my computer, and music for Friday evening's recital. When I first considered that my priorities were evident by looking at my packing list, I felt condemned because I was more concerned about making sure I had all my "stuff" rather than other things that would show my emphasis on my family. Don't misunderstand - I love my family and treasure them, but spending time with them is not what I am passionate about. Before anyone gets too excited about that statement, consider the model of the marriage again. The man leaves his family (whom he loves) in order to serve his wife (his passion). Rather than feeling condemnation now, I am beginning to see that my packing list is just an expression of the way God has wired me. I choose to see my priorities as God-honoring pursuits and trust that He will give direction when it's time for a priority shift. Because He is my highest priority, when I hear His instruction, I'll be quick to obey.
As I started to review my list in light of this insight, I began to wonder if my priorities were truly in order. Do I value material things more than I do people? More than my faith? These were questions I wasn't sure that I wanted to face.
I suppose this thought about priorities was due to the sermon I heard this morning in church. It was a wonderful message on marriage and the three rights that must be forfeited in order to have a healthy, Godly marriage: the rights of priority, possession, and privacy. (I must admit that I probably only remember those three major points since building the slide show to accompany the sermon is one of the responsibilities of my position.) Since I'm not married, I wasn't sure how the bullet points would relate to my life. This afternoon I began to explore these concepts in a rather interesting way. Let me share some of my thoughts with you now.
In a nutshell, Pastor stated that when asked to list their priorities, many married men would list them in this order: God, wife, family.....and the list continues from there. Based upon the Genesis account of the creation of Adam and Eve, Pastor challenged us to consider the possibility that God didn't demand that Adam list God first. Scripture states that the man would leave father and mother in order to be joined to his wife. Now before any of you have a heart attack, let me make sure you clearly understand Pastor's statement; he was not suggesting that our first priority should not be for God. Rather, he pointed out that when a Godly man's first priority in his natural, everyday walk is to his wife, his acts of service to her become God-honoring actions. God continues to be the man's first priority in his spiritual walk. (Can you tell this sermon was a major point of discussion in my house this afternoon?)
Here's where my brain went into overdrive. Since I am not currently married, does God call me to honor Him by placing some passion in the highest priority in my natural life? Suddenly, the call to ministry on my life became much more significant to me personally. Could it be that my placing priority on music and children - the very things about which I am naturally most passionate - and my efforts in these arenas have become my God-honoring acts of service? The parallels were enlightening. A husband's passion in the natural world is for his wife; she is the object of the man's affections that he is called to serve in honor of his Creator. At this time in my life, my passions are for ministry to children and music. Doesn't it follow that the passions in my life were placed there by God in order to bring Him honor as I faithfully serve in those areas of my greatest passion? What a liberating and exciting thought! Ministry is no longer merely a vocation, but rather a God-ordained, God-designed plan for my life!
So, this brings me back to my questions about my priorities. Before I packed the first piece of clothing this afternoon, I constructed a list that included planning materials for the summer musical, a children's curriculum I need to review, my computer, and music for Friday evening's recital. When I first considered that my priorities were evident by looking at my packing list, I felt condemned because I was more concerned about making sure I had all my "stuff" rather than other things that would show my emphasis on my family. Don't misunderstand - I love my family and treasure them, but spending time with them is not what I am passionate about. Before anyone gets too excited about that statement, consider the model of the marriage again. The man leaves his family (whom he loves) in order to serve his wife (his passion). Rather than feeling condemnation now, I am beginning to see that my packing list is just an expression of the way God has wired me. I choose to see my priorities as God-honoring pursuits and trust that He will give direction when it's time for a priority shift. Because He is my highest priority, when I hear His instruction, I'll be quick to obey.
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