Yes, you read that correctly. Think I’m crazy? Let me explain… I’m sure most of you have seen (or even have) a priority list similar to this:
- God
- Spouse
- Children
- Ministry
- Home
Many of us were taught that this simple little formula (or one like it) should guide our every decision. While I used to think this way also, I don’t anymore. Why? Because I believe that it diminishes the role of the Lord in our lives. God should not just be on our priority list, He should BE our priority list. {Tweet this}
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” -Matthew 22.37b
The King of Kings and Lord of Lords must be at the center of our lives and glorifying Him should be the motivation behind all of our decisions and actions. So, our priorities should look more like this:
I think we often stress over making sure our priorities are correct, when all we really need to do is simply focus on Jesus and allow the rest fall into place as we follow His leading. In her book, Pursuit of Proverbs 31, Amy Bayliss echos my thoughts on this matter:
“God is the only priority. Our being obedient, submitting to our husband, teaching our children, caring for our home, and serving our community are all examples of making God our priority because it is in line with His Word. We do all things unto Him.”
This isn’t to say that having a list of priorities can’t be a helpful tool at times. But that’s just it. A priority list is a tool, not a rule. {Tweet this}
In all practicality, having a priority list is quite handy when it comes to time management and planning. However, the condition of our heart and mindset should be focused on Christ and walking in obedience to Him as a response of love. With God at the center of our lives, we are able to able to juggle our roles and responsibilities as the Lord directs us. This is why beginning our days with prayer is so important. Only by seeking the Father’s will can we accomplish what HE has planned.
“In the morning, O LORD, You will hear my voice;
In the morning I will order my prayer to You and eagerly watch.”
-Psalm 5:3
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Such a simple solution! Who woulda thought! Abiding in Christ at all times. Thanks for reminding us!
Sylvia recently posted..Thankful Thursday: A Close Call!
It’s easier said than done, but so important! Thank you for your comment, Sylvia.
Great reminder, Jenni! I so often get bogged down in the details, but it is really all so simple, as you say. Follow God–all else will come.
Elizabeth Anne May recently posted..Life Lessons and Girl Scout Cookies
So true… Thanks for your comment and for linking up every week, Elizabeth!
Thanks for hosting. Glad to join you from the UK today with a post about nurturing our children’s developing minds.
Alison Bayne recently posted..Help Your Family Thrive by Using Your Whole Brain
Thank you, Alison! I look forward to reading your post.
So true! When we have God in the center of our lives, everything else will fall into place. So glad I came across your link party
Lisa recently posted..LEARNING THE HARD WAY
So glad to have you join us, Lisa!
Jenni ~ I loved your post on God being the center and all else flowing from that. Thanks for the great reminder. Thanks also for hosting the link-up. God bless and have a wonderful week.
Ronda @ Following Our Leader recently posted..Same-Sex Marriage
Thank you for the kind comment, Ronda. I’m glad this was a blessing to you and happy to have you linking up with us!
THIS was an excellent post! In my 24 years of marriage and 21 years of parenting I wish I had known this years ago. Keep HIM first…it all falls into place. SO true!
Donna recently posted..Trimming the Fat–Off Your Fav Recipes
It really does make a difference, doesn’t Donna? So thankful for your comment!
I tend to beat myself up from time to time for getting out of balance. I lead ministries, homeschool, self-employment, and the list goes on. Sometimes I forget that it’s not a race, its meant to be a joy. I taught a class a while back about how our life is like a tree. Each part of us is a branch, and when do not tend to the areas of our life in a balanced manner, we tend to weigh down our branches, and eventually we feel the pull at our center. Of course God is our trunk, our center, which will never let us break. Thank you for this post. It definitely got my attention. God bless you!
So true… Thanks for sharing your tree illustration, Hannah!
I love the visual of God in the center. It would be a great reminder to see this all during the day, to stay on track. Great post!
Lori @ Encourage Your Spouse recently posted..Encouraging Words: Invite
It really does help do have a visual, doesn’t it? Thank you for your comment, Lori!
These two verses have been helpful to me in this:
First of all, what did Jesus say our priorities should be? “He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” (Luke 10:27). I believe that should be our priorities, but just like a “to-do list,” I think having a list of priorities to check yourself periodically is not a bad thing. People just do that in different ways.
Secondly, I think of this verse Matthew 6:33, “Seek first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.” This reminds me that if we are truly focused on God first, then the other things will fall into place. I agree w/ some of those other priority lists, because I think that if God is truly first then the others will fall into place in the correct order that He calls us to.
Crystal @ Serving Joyfully recently posted..Butter & Herb Broccoli
Great verses, Crystal. I am actually posting a vlog on the first one tomorrow!
I always considered the circle thing to be just another way to communicate the priority list. It’s the same basic concept to me, but you have to do whatever works for you
Crystal @ Serving Joyfully recently posted..Butter & Herb Broccoli
Good point. I think it just depends on how you think about it… The main thing is to seek Christ in all things.
I think we have to be careful, too, to use any priority list (or circle, or whatever) as an OVERALL tool, and not allow ourselves to become enslaved or guilt-ridden by it on a more moment-to-moment basis, because the needs of our lives will fluctuate.
I have a sick child at the moment. Tending to her will take priority over things I might ordinarily do to serve my husband, FOR NOW. Various seasons of our lives will shift the necessary proportions, too. Little children simply take more time and attention. That’s reality. Other ministries may comprise only a sliver of the “pie” during the mother-of-young-littles season, while that sliver may increase in size as the children get older, and the “mothering” slice may shrink somewhat.
Well said, Rachel. That is the point I was trying to make. Thanks for your comment!
I found you over at the Teach Me Tuesday link up. Your post totally resonates with me. In fact, I wrote a very similar post recently on why I named my blog “For He is Our God.” http://forheisourgod.wordpress.com/2013/01/26/for-he-is-our-god/
God should be our motivation and guiding hand in all that we do. I enjoyed how you have correlated that theme to the “priority list” idea. Makes so much sense. Thanks!
Glorifying God should most definitely be the motivation behind our actions! Thanks for sharing, Britney.
This is a simple yet difficult concept for us to grasp. It’s the same attitude we should take when making life plans. I reminded of the scripture that teaches us if we make his Kingdom and Righteousness first everything else is added unto us. It’s when we surrender to him that our priorities and plans come together.
Surrender… Yes! A very important step in allowing God to be at the center of all that we do. Thanks for your comment, Alex.