Establishing Prorities, Part 3
Whatever is going on in your life will be part of your establishing priorities. You might be young and working toward your education or employment or home/family--any or all of the above. You ought to focus and review your priorities periodically, biblically.
You may have physical or emotional or financial challenges you need to consider along the way. How does God want you to respond to these according to His character and His Word? You need to prayerfully consider these, also. I have found Psalms 46, 119, and 139 helpful, as well as Ecclesiastes and James.
Education? Ecclesiastes 12.
Employment? Ephesians 6:5-9; James 4:13-15.
Home and family? Deuteronomy 6:5-7--"You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. These words, which I am commanding you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up." (NAS).
These words presuppose a knowledge of and practice of God's Word by the parents. Parents who do not love the LORD and His words will not teach the above concepts at all, much less diligently. And you do not need to be a physical parent to parent someone spiritually.
What about widows and orphans when it comes to home and family?
James 1:27 tells us: "Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world." (NAS).
Frequently, we are more prone to visit orphans and widows in the immediate time of loss, and this is good. Expressions at the time of loss is beneficial. But what about later? How easy it is to be caught up in our own immediate concerns and to forget those of others, to procrastinate, to not remember John 13:35: "By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." (NAS).
How do we manifest the love Jesus refers to here? How did Jesus manifest the Father's love? "Prioritize" and "sacrifice" are two words which come to mind.
In the busyness of our lives we must not forget the ongoing distresses faced by orphans and widows. How can they manage not only emotionally but also financially? How about friends? If a couple loses one partner, who will be there for the other? If someone loses both parents, who will step into that void?
Write to a widow. Send a card or a letter; not everyone uses social media. Call an orphan. Show up to meet a need (James 1 and 2; 1 Timothy 5:16).
Not wanting to leave your comfort zone? Consider Philippians 2:1-15 and Hebrews 12:3.
God's Word calls us to establish priorities according to His, even if they are not by nature ours.
You may have physical or emotional or financial challenges you need to consider along the way. How does God want you to respond to these according to His character and His Word? You need to prayerfully consider these, also. I have found Psalms 46, 119, and 139 helpful, as well as Ecclesiastes and James.
Education? Ecclesiastes 12.
Employment? Ephesians 6:5-9; James 4:13-15.
Home and family? Deuteronomy 6:5-7--"You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. These words, which I am commanding you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up." (NAS).
These words presuppose a knowledge of and practice of God's Word by the parents. Parents who do not love the LORD and His words will not teach the above concepts at all, much less diligently. And you do not need to be a physical parent to parent someone spiritually.
What about widows and orphans when it comes to home and family?
James 1:27 tells us: "Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world." (NAS).
Frequently, we are more prone to visit orphans and widows in the immediate time of loss, and this is good. Expressions at the time of loss is beneficial. But what about later? How easy it is to be caught up in our own immediate concerns and to forget those of others, to procrastinate, to not remember John 13:35: "By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." (NAS).
How do we manifest the love Jesus refers to here? How did Jesus manifest the Father's love? "Prioritize" and "sacrifice" are two words which come to mind.
In the busyness of our lives we must not forget the ongoing distresses faced by orphans and widows. How can they manage not only emotionally but also financially? How about friends? If a couple loses one partner, who will be there for the other? If someone loses both parents, who will step into that void?
Write to a widow. Send a card or a letter; not everyone uses social media. Call an orphan. Show up to meet a need (James 1 and 2; 1 Timothy 5:16).
Not wanting to leave your comfort zone? Consider Philippians 2:1-15 and Hebrews 12:3.
God's Word calls us to establish priorities according to His, even if they are not by nature ours.
posted by Ebeth | 10:11 AM
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