3 Reset My Priorities Series

Introduction: What Is Really Shaping Your Life?

Let me start with a simple question.

If someone followed you around for a week —

• watched how you spent your time,

• noticed what drained your energy,

• saw where your money went

• and what you worried about —

what would they conclude matters most to you?

Not what you say matters most.

Not what you hope matters most.

But what actually shapes your life.

Because priorities are not theoretical.

They are visible.

And Jesus, in Matthew 6, speaks directly into that reality.

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1. Jesus Is Talking to Anxious People

Matthew 6 is not a lecture about time management.

It’s a conversation with anxious people.

People worried about:

• provision

• security

• the future

• whether life will hold together

Jesus talks about food, clothing, tomorrow — real, everyday concerns.

And into that context He says:

“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

This is important:

Jesus is not scolding them for caring about the wrong things.

He’s addressing fear.

Because fear has a way of reshaping priorities.

• When we’re afraid, we grab control.

• When we’re anxious, we fill our lives.

• When we’re uncertain, we cling to what feels urgent.

We don’t misplace priorities because we’re bad people.

We misplace priorities because we’re trying to feel safe.

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2. “First” Is About Trust, Not Time

When Jesus says “seek first,”

He’s not talking primarily about time slots in a diary.

He’s talking about trust.

Who do you trust to carry the weight of your life?

What do you believe will ultimately hold you steady?

For many of us, priorities drift not because we stop loving God,

but because we start trusting other things more:

• work

• income

• approval

• comfort

• control

And slowly, quietly, God moves from being central

to being important . . . . but optional.

Jesus’ words are not about adding another spiritual task.

They are about re-centring trust.

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3. The Hidden Cost of Disordered Priorities

When God is not first, life becomes crowded.

We feel:

• constantly busy

• always behind

• stretched thin

• spiritually tired

And no matter how much we do,

it never quite feels like enough.

That’s because our lives were never designed to be held together by productivity or pressure.

Jesus doesn’t say,

“Seek first the kingdom and everything will be easy.”

He says,

“Seek first the kingdom and everything will find its place.”

There is a difference.

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Object Illustration: The Jar (Used Differently)

(Bring out the jar and items.)

Let me show you something.

This jar represents your life.

• Same limits for all of us.

• Same 24 hours.

• Same finite energy.

The big stones are the big important things; but –

This is what usually happens when it comes to priorities:

(Begin filling it with sand and small stones.)

The sand and the small stones are the things that fill up our life each day – right from the moment we wake:

• These are what we think are the urgent things.

• Necessary things.

• Demanding things.

THAT’s how we run our days –

The routines, meetings, chores

They fill our day – day after day….

[start adding big stones]

Then, when we add the big, important things:

Time for God – prayer, serving, giving time/finances,

learning from the Lord

They don’t all fit!

“I don’t have time, money, energy to . . .”

Here’s the point:

The issue is not capacity —

it’s order.

Now let’s reset.

(Place the large stones in first.)

“Seek FIRST the Kingdom”

These represent what Jesus is talking about:

God’s kingdom.

Trust.

Faith.

What is eternal.

Now the smaller everyday things go in…

and they still fit.

Jesus is not asking you to drop everything else.

He’s asking you to put first kingdom things.

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4. First Things Reorder Everything Else

Throughout Scripture, God gives practices that help us live this way.

Not rules.

Not burdens.

But anchors.

• Prayer says: God, You have my attention.

• Being church says: God, You are my source, not my effort.

• Generosity says: God, I trust You with my resources.

These practices don’t save us.

They shape us.

They gently but firmly reorder life around God’s grace.

And here’s the key:

Don’t start with all of them.

Start with one decision.

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5. One Honest Decision

This message is not about doing ten things differently.

It’s about answering one question honestly.

Ready for the one honest question?

What gets my best — not my leftovers?

My best time.

My best energy.

My best attention.

That answer reveals - priority.

Resetting our priorities doesn’t mean radical overnight change.

It means one intentional shift.