What's First Mt 6:25-34

Examing our Priorities
1. Our relationship to God
2. Our relationship to our family
3 Our relationship to church and community


I suppose a lot of us would wish to have another six hours in the day. There are so many things to be done and never seems to be enough time to get to it all. I'm sure that if I asked several of the men who have now retired from farming whether they were able to ever get all the work done on their farm their response would be that they always had more work to do.
I'm sure that the ladies each have a dozen projects you'd like to do around the house but there is never time.
Kids, wouldn't it be great to have longer days? How many of you complain when it's time to go to bed? At our house we hear expressions like "Do I have to go to bed now?" "Why can't I stay up longer?" "Can't I stay up just 15 minutes more?"
I'm sure we'd all like to have more time. Would that really solve the dilemma we're in?
Don't you think that after a few of these longer days, we'd find ourselves back into the same old rut of wanting more time?

One difficulty with having so many things pressing in on us is that we can lose our perspective and our goals in life. We get caught up with the mundane, common, every day tings which are so urgent that we lose sight of the things that are important.
We also can get easily discouraged, depressed and even lose our sense of worth when we get involved in so many urgent tasks. Several days this past week, I had to check my spirit. It is alsways hectic moving and getting settled in. We need to adjust and get to know a totally new community. When we spend most of several days in town shopping and getting business done, I started to get concerned about all the work that needed to get done at home. The things that seemed urgent began to crowd out the important things that I should be involved in in daily life.
Don't you think that after a few of these longer days, we'd find ourselves back into the same old rut of wanting more time?

One difficulty with having so many things pressing in on us is that we can lose our perspective and our goals in life. We get caught up with the mundane, common, every day things which are so urgent that we lose sight of the tings that are important.

We also can get easily discouraged, depressed and even lose our sense of worth when we get involved in so many urgent tasks. Several days this past week, I had to check my spirit. It is always hectic moving and getting settled. We need to adjust and get to know a totaly new community. When we spent most of several days in town shopping and getting business done. I started to get concerned about all the work that needed to get done at home. The things that seemed urgent began to crewd out the important things I should be involved in daily life.

We live in the constant tension between the important things and the things which seem urgent. Students will soon be caught with homework deadlines. Some farmers will be trying to make sure their crops are all in before winter hits us. The problem comes when we allow the urgent matters to run our lives so that we neglect the important affairs - Prayer, Bible study, visiting and sharing with non-Christian neighbours or preparation for church assignments such as teaching a class.

Jesus Christ made an astonishing claim as he completed his short three years of ministry. In John 17:4 Christ said to His Father " I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave to do." How many of you could look back over the last three years of your life and say your ministry is complete? Jesus knew what the Father's desire for His life was and worked diligently to spread the message throughout Judea and Galilee. Jesus didn't convert everyone in Palestine but yet he said he had finished his assigned work.

The secret of Jesus life is that he listened and knew what the Father wanted him to do. Part of our dilemma is that we are to busy to listening to God for His direction. To get the Father's instructions Jesus got up early, went to a lonely place and prayed. (Mk 1:35) Prayer formed an integral part in the life and ministry of Jesus. Prayer was not just a lot of words that went up to the Father but Jesus spent time talking with God. To have a conversation it takes two people, not just one. If one person does all the talking it is a monologue or lecture. This is probably the kind of prayer which we use most frequently. We do all the talking and don't listen. Have you even had a conversation with someone who didn't let you get a word in. How did you feel?

When we get all tied up in our busyness, we often fail to recognize that there are others who could and would want to help us. We become so self-sufficient that we tend to neglect that God will help us if we could only ask Him to. "Prayerful waiting on God is indispensable to effective service. Like the time-out in a football game, it enables us to catch our breath and fix new strategy" (Tyranny of the Urgent)

God doesn't want us overloaded. He expects us to work diligently as Christ did but if we feel overloaded, something is wrong. It is time to check priorities and plan our time. By planning our time carefully, we can get the important tings done and put off the busy things which do not amount to anything in the long term.

Paul talked about the foundation and important things upon which we must build our lives. (Read I Corinthians 3:10 -15) Many of the things which keep us busy are insignificant and like the wood, hay and stubble which will be burnt up in the end time.

We need to build our lives around that which is important - gold silver and precious stones. Jeremiah said that the most important thing in our lives was to know God (Jeremiah 9:23,24)

Jesus said the same in the sermon on the Mount, that our primary concern should not be the things of this world which rust and deteriorate or which thieves try to get their hands on. But Jesus said, "Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be given you as well." Thus our relationship to God is primary in our lives.

Paul laid out qualifications of the leaders in the church in a letter to Timothy, his helper. The qualifications are such that these men are to be examples to the congregation and in a sense, these men are to reflect an ideal. Among the qualifications it says, "He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect. If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God's church?"

I believe this passage indicates that a husband and father must make time for his family. It is easy to become involved in business or our work so that we neglect our families. When this happens, the children resent their father's job and begin to rebel. Fathers, you must make time for your children that God has given you. They are your heritage and will be the only thing of worth which remains as you pass on to glory.

Our third priority is our ministry. That may be teaching, helping, organizing, leading, serving, giving or using whatever other gifts God has given you. God wants us to use our leisure time profitably. Today there are more amusements which compete for our time and attention than in any other age. The temptation is great to waste our time.

Personally, I try to take time to plan my week in advance so that those things of importance are accomplished. I have a weekly calendar which I fill in so that those things which do not amount to much for God's kingdom maintain the low priority in my schedule. God has proven faithful to add to our lives all the things that we need.

God wants us to do great things for Him. At the end of His ministry, Christ promised His disciples in John 14:12 that "anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father."

God wants us to sort out our priorities. Have we been wasting our time watching TV or reading material which does not build us in the faith? Maybe there are other activities which you feel are not drawing you to God which you feel you need to quit to spend your time more profitably in prayer, Bible study, meditation or sharing your faith. Don't judge the activities of others. We need to examine our own lives and adjust our priorities so that God may be glorified in the activities we engage in and His name will be honoured in the way we spend our time.

Orillia CFC August 23, 1981
Songs:
Seek Ye First the Kingdom of God
Give of your Best to the Master
I will Sing of the Mercies of the Lord

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