First Things First

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:33)

German writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe grasped the importance of priorities.  He said, “Things which matter most must never be at the mercy of things which matter least.”

Life on earth holds few greater challenges than the daily demand of choosing among competing alternatives for our limited time.   Our life is the sum total of all the decisions we make every day, and those decisions are determined by our priorities.   How we use our time every day eventually defines our lives.   Life was designed to be simple, not complicated, and the key to simplifying life is prioritization.  

So then, what is the principle and concept of priority?

Priority is defined as: the principal thing, putting first things first, establishing the most important thing, and primary focus.  It is also defined as placing the highest value and worth upon something.  If our priorities determine the quality of life and dictate all of our actions and behavior, then it is essential that we understand and identify our priorities.

The greatest tragedy in life is not death but life without a purpose, life with the wrong priorities. Likewise, one of life’s greatest failures is to be successful in the wrong task.  Success in life is measured by the effective use of one’s time.   Your time is important because your time is your life.   And the key to effective use of your time is establishing correct priorities.  First things first!

The Word of God tells us that it is vital to put our priorities in the right order and then carefully cultivate each one with enthusiasm.  Why?  Because if priority is so important to life, then we should want to know what our priority in life should be so that we can live effectively.   It may surprise you to know that most of the people in the world are driven by incorrect priorities that occupy and control their entire lives.

God established His priority at the beginning of creation and made it clear to mankind.  Jesus Christ came to earth and reestablished God’s number-one priority.  During His first message introducing His primary mission, Jesus established God’s priority for all mankind with several powerful and straightforward statements, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?” (Matthew 6:25)

Jesus’ admonition to not worry implies that these basic needs for maintenance should not be the primary motivator for human action.  Our confidence in our Creator’s commitment to sustain His creation should lead us to transfer our priority from our basic human needs to the priority of cultivating and maintaining a healthy relationship with His Kingdom and with Himself.  The key is to seek the Kingdom first. Pursue God; seek His face and not His hand. Go after a relationship with Him as if it is everything!  You will find that if you seek His face, His hand will always be open to you.

So, learn to be content in your relationship with God; He knows everything you need.

 

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