Priorities

INTRODUCTION

As fathers and husbands, there is always something to do. And even if you get to doing everything, there always remains that simple aspect of spending time with your family.

In fact things get so busy sometimes for all of us, that we often loose track of where or sometimes even who we are.

I was blessed this week to take a little bit of time off. I wont go into the reasons but needless to say I was walking like a cowboy. But we digress. I was blessed this week to have a little time off and I got to take a look at a few things that were going on in my life.

Now one thing you can not be if you are in Gods work is bored or without anything to do. Often Pastors burn out and become exhausted. And I got to do some prioritizing this week. I got to think through a few things

I did all the usual stuff, not that it’s not important, you know, must spend more time with Leanne, need to be busier with the Kids. Etc etc.

But there was still an unsettled feeling of “It’s not on your to do list”.

Ever had that feeling? I am almost put at ease by simply having a priority list. Sometimes I don’t get through everything on the list, but by simply just having a list, it kind of makes you feel better.

But after I had given some thought to some of my priorities, I was still left feeling like something had been left off the list.

And so I did what I do when I feel a gap, I prayed. And before I had got through my usual Father I come before you….first line, I realized that I had a few things to sort of as to priorities with God. I relaised that I had been rectifying and listing all the priorities in my life, but that my lifes very business had crowded out some of the core elements that I needed to have in place with God.

I realized that business for the kingdom, crowds out the kingdoms business within.

I needed to make a few changes in my faith and in my service to my God.

FIRST COUNT THE COST

The very first scripture that came to mind was that of:

Luke 14:28

Who does not FIRST. I had to get some FIRST things right FIRST.

I had to get some Godly priorities correct FIRST, before I went on to pursue other.

SUNDAY = FIRST DAY = GOOD TO CONSIDER FIRSTS (PRIORITIES)

Today being Sunday is the first day of the week on most calendars. And so today by coming along to church we gave the first day of the time we have this week to God. And so being the first day of the week, and being one that we have used to focus some time on God, it would be a good day to look at some of FIRSTS or some of our priorities. But not just any priorities, but rather our divine must do’s.

GLOBAL DIVINE PRIORITY

In some businesses, despite having many priorities, there is a company mission statement. There is an overriding global priority that governs all things.

Mt 6:33 – gives us our mission statement or our global priority.

Mt 6:33 Unpack

No better priority can we have other than that of Gods kingdom. We pray for it everytime we utter the Our father prayer. BUT DO WE NEED IT. IS IT THE HEADER OF OUR TO DO LIST?

Whatever I am looking to do, let me do Kingdom first, and then all other things will be added to you.

OWN RIGHTEOUSNESS – STARTS AT HOME

Righteousness is not about anything on the outside. Its not about a thing we can do. Its not about how many cell groups we attend or how many feeding programs we can be running or involved with, its about our insides. Its about the Kingdom working is goodness, it righteousness in us.

Mat 23:26 Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.

Don’t be doing stuff, if the stuff inside has not been sorted out. I often say that you cant mess with a genuine story. Well genuineness begins in here. Genuineness is about getting your house in order. Its about making sure your home is a righteous and Godly place, its about getting the base things sorted out.

You can’t expect to be anything more than who God made you to be. So get right that which he has made and stop trying to make yourself something not even your divine creator wanted you to be.

1 Pet 4:17 admonishes that righteousness begins at home. It begins here in the church. You wont convert others if your righteousness is not secured.