Did you know that the word priority is not in the Bible?
In our culture of stressing and striving and to-do lists, we prioritize, don’t we? We love to make lists to control our day. The list serves as a report card to judge our performance. It seems only natural to want to put our relationship with God at the top of our priority list, doesn’t it?
When Priorities Go Out the Window
But when a crisis comes up, like receiving a call first thing in the morning from a parent who needs to be rushed to the doctor or emergency room, your child is distraught, or the alarm you thought you set didn’t go off, all plans and priorities go out the window.
Perhaps you start your day with devotional time, reading, or praying. When that is disrupted so is your peace. You may even feel guilt about missing that time that was supposed to be priority.
Matthew 22:37-38 tells us: You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. (NKJV)
In these verses Jesus answers the question of what is the greatest commandment? As he almost always does, he not only answers by quoting Scripture, but he adds a new layer for us to think about.
Loving God with all your heart, soul, and mind does not take priority over loving your neighbor as yourself. Jesus says, “the second is like it.”
God Doesn’t Want to Be a Priority – God Wants to Be Central
God doesn’t want to be a priority. God wants to be central.
It’s the message behind the apostle Paul’s writings: the importance to love (1 Corinthians 13) to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17), rejoice always (1 Thessalonians 5:16), in Him we live and move and have our being (Acts 17:28).
When you make God central, you are aware of God’s presence with you and within you. God is love (1 John 4: 16), therefore, love becomes central. So when life gets in the way, when plans are changed, when a crisis pops up, a constant is God’s love, peace, and presence within.
Need help with making God central? Be Present with God is a free mini course to help you discover what it means to pray without ceasing covering four spiritual practices of prayer, meditation, Lectio Divina (meditating on Scripture), and contemplative prayer. Watch a short video for all the details or get access by putting your first name and best email in the form below.
Leave a Comment