Priorities

I’ve been thinking about life priorities lately and thought I would share at least what I think the top 5 priorities should be in all of our lives:

1. God
2. Spouse
3. Children
4. Job
5. Ministry

Starting at the top, priority #1 is God and our walk with God. God should be first in our lives always. He is the creator of all things and His commandments are clear. We are to love Him with all of our heart, mind and soul. No other person, place or thing is to come before God. If you place something before God, that is considered an idol and you are an in idolatry. He wants to be first in your life and He wants to walk with you daily. Not just when you think you need Him; but daily 24/7.

Priority #2 is your spouse. Your spouse completes you and you complete them. It is written in the Bible that you leave your parents and you become one flesh; meaning that together you are complete in God. If you are at odds with your spouse or you are not putting your spouse right after God; then you’re probably at odds with what God wants in your life. Marriage is a beautiful blessing given by our Creator but it requires each partner to be focused on serving the other as we would serve God.

Priority #3 is your children. If you have children your job is to raise them right in the Lord. How do you raise them right? Start with getting things right in the first two priorities. If you have a good relationship with God and a good relationship with your spouse raising your children will be much easier. In 1 Timothy 3:4 Paul says “He must mange his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect.” This verse is Paul describing an overseer in the church; but we are all called to be part of the church body and be examples to those around us.

Priority #4 is your job. Unfortunately we live in times where we need to make money to provide for our families. If we are not providing for our families then things will not be good with our spouse or our children and to be honest God. We are to be God honoring is all that we do; even if we do not like what we do. God put you into a job and it’s your job to do that job with gladness of heart as unto God; until He puts you into another job somewhere else.

Priority #5 is ministry. This is where we volunteer and help God’s people. Don’t confuse this with #1 above. Priority #1 is about your personal walk with God; you reading the Word, journaling, praying and listening to God. Ministry is serving others. But this cannot come at the expense of your spouse, children or job. We are to be good stewards over everything the Lord gives us and I don’t want to stand in front of Him at the end trying to balance ministry with a failed marriage and family.

If you are keeping these priorities you probably won’t have much time left over. But if we keep these five priorities God will bless us with much more.