Priorities

Good morning!

Here we are, about to enter 2015.  As the new year approaches, many of us think about "the ghosts of new years past" - - that's right, all those broken new years' resolutions we made a year ago, or two years ago, or whenever.  When we make...and then break....resolutions, it tends to make us feel like a failure, doesn't it?

I think it is a better idea to think about priorities as we approach the new year.  One of the reasons resolutions aren't kept is because they represent badly ordered priorities.  We often make our resolutions, but they are not the things we should be resolved about.

I'm probably confusing you; so, let me give you some examples.  One of the most common resolutions is to lose weight, right?  But, when we focus on that and resolve to do that, we are not dealing with the underlying causes, those beliefs or behaviors or chemical imbalances that cause us to eat the wrong things.  Quitting smoking is another.  People usually smoke because they are addicted to nicotine, found in cigarettes.  Trying to quit without addressing the underlying addiction is very, very hard.

So, I'd like to submit to you that the secret to making good resolutions is to re-order our priorities and bring them into line with God's.  I'd like for you to think about this today and tomorrow, to do an honest assessment of your relationship with God, because, whether you are a believer in Christ or not, everything else flows from that point.

First, to unbelievers:  do an intellectually honest investigation of Jesus Christ, who He is.  Is He who He claimed to be?  Someone said to a friend of mine the other day, "_________ (her son) is in his seeking phase."  She replied, " 'Seeking' is such an active word!"  In other words, he is not seeking God or to find the truth about Jesus; he is actively running away from God, living in rebellion.  Most unbelievers have not conducted an intellectually honest investigation of the claims of Jesus Christ, as presented in the Bible.  They have no desire to, because they had rather be their own god.  If this is you I'm talking about, then I challenge you to do this.  Let me know you are accepting this challenge and then let me know what you find.

Second, to those who already have made a decision to accept Jesus as Savior and to follow Him:
examine your heart as to the place you have given Him in your life.  Here's the key indicator of how your priorities are ordered:  how do you spend your time?

How much time do you spend meditating on God's word each day?  There is a direct correlation between reading the Bible, embracing its precepts and not sinning.  Look at what the psalmist says:

How can a young person live a clean life?

    By carefully reading the map of your Word.

I’m single-minded in pursuit of you;

    don’t let me miss the road signs you’ve posted.

I’ve banked your promises in the vault of my heart

    so I won’t sin myself bankrupt.

Be blessed, God;
    train me in your ways of wise living.
I’ll transfer to my lips
    all the counsel that comes from your mouth;
I delight far more in what you tell me about living
    than in gathering a pile of riches.
I ponder every morsel of wisdom from you,
    I attentively watch how you’ve done it.
I relish everything you’ve told me of life,
    I won’t forget a word of it.

Psalm 119:9-16

The Message

Now, let me make a confession here, for those of you who are unaware.  I did not start doing this (daily devotional time), making this a priority, until about 6 months ago.  For shame!  I had been a Christian for over 45 years before I began to devote myself to the daily reading of the Bible.  Let me just say it plain:  I was selfish and disobedient.  I was in church a lot, from the time I could suck a pacifier; and, I figured that was plenty of Bible to live this life.  Such arrogance, pride and disobedience!  Don't follow my negative example.  The passage above is addressed to young people; did you catch that?  But, no matter your age, Christian reader, if you will make this a priority, you will be hard-pressed to "sin yourself bankrupt".

The next priority flows from the first, Christian.  Pray.  When you read God's word, He will speak to you and tell you what you need to pray.  God's word convicts us of sin in our lives; it cleanses us. Confession should be a key element of our prayers every day because, although we are eternally saved through faith in Jesus, we still have our old sinful nature that battles with the Holy Spirit for control of our hearts!  This is why our priorities often get out of whack.  Here are the key elements of daily, disciplined Christian prayer:
1.  Adoration and Praise
We should not adore Him only at Christmas!  Learn and think about the characteristics of God's nature - - His holiness, mercy, love, unchangeableness, faithfulness, etc. - - - and praise Him!  Read a psalm aloud or sing a hymn or worship song aloud to praise Him!
2.  Thankfulness
Thank Him for His many marvelous blessings to you.  Thank Him for His many promises to His children.  Listen!  When you are feeling "down", defeated, discouraged - - - praying with adoration and thankfulness will unclog your heart and head.
3.  Confession
We've already talked about that one.
4.  Supplication (and Intercession)
That's a fancy, church-y word for "asking God for help".  Of course, God wants us to bring our needs before Him in prayer!  This acknowledges our dependence on Him.  Our supplications should also include "intercession", another church-y word which means "praying for others".  When you pray for someone else, it is as if you take God's hand with one hand and then take the person's hand with your other hand; and, you lead him or her before God's throne, asking for His intervention and mercy in their time of critical need.

Tomorrow we will look at some other priorities for the new year.  But, before we leave Bible reading and prayer, Christian, let me emphasize a couple of things.
1.  There is no magic about when each day you do either of these.  Some want to say that you should always do your Bible meditation first thing in the morning.  While that is preferable, and while that is what I do NOW, I certainly didn't do that when I had to get up at 5:15 a.m. in order to be at work by 7:00 a.m.! Our God is a reasonable God! Also, pray throughout the day, as often as the Holy Spirit lays someone or something on your heart. But, I have also found it helpful to keep a list of prayer requests; otherwise, I will forget to pray for someone who needs a lot of long-term intercession.
2.  You may find it helpful to follow a daily devotional guide (online or in print) for your daily Bible reading.  There are many free ones available online, and they come right to your inbox if you sign-up for them.  I would suggest, however, that you don't limit yourself to that.  You will also benefit from more in-depth study of a book of the Bible.  Bible Gateway and Bible Hub are two online sources which help you to take a passage and study it.  They even offer accessible Bible commentaries that help to expound on the text.

Finally, as Nike says - - - just do it.  These must be your first priorities, Christian, whether at the start of 2015 or whenever you are reading this blog post.  If you neglect these, you are going into battle with only part of your battle gear buckled in place.

You can find some additional verses about the necessity and power of prayer here:
http://www.godvine.com/bible/category/prayer
And, here you can find more encouraging verses about studying the Bible:
http://www.openbible.info/topics/studying_the_bible

Dear Father, help us all to order our priorities, to bring them in line with Your will for each of us. Woo us!  Call us by Your Holy Spirit to be faithful in prayer and in studying Your word, so that we can shine as the stars of heaven, so that we may walk today and in 2015, resplendent!  In Jesus' name, amen.