Before I continue with this series on priorities, I must share this thought with you: Knowledge of God's Word is what is going to change your thinking. Change your mind, change your world. Now, having said that, allow me to continue with another reason for focusing on priorities:
Your correct priority protects your talents and gifts. Knowing what your priorities are will help you avoid expending your talents and gifts on unimportant or unworthy endeavors and unnecessary things. Most individuals today use their gifts and abilities in the pursuit of selfish and worldly goals that have nothing to do with the Kingdom of Heaven. Just watch television and the internet and you will see many preachers, prophets, evangelists, teachers, ministers, etc, who are focusing on their own agenda. This is especially evident in mega churches. Their top priority is gratifying their own desires. However, even good and honorable pursuits can become a problem if they distract us from other endeavors that are more important. Remember, Saul, before his priorities were changed, thought what he was doing to the Believers in the Kingdom was correct. Now Saul was consenting to his death. At that time a great persecution arose against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him. As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering every house, and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison. He had a gift, but the wrong priorities.
Imagine looking back on years of your life and realizing that you wasted your gifts and talents on the wrong purpose and never accomplished what you were put here on earth to do. What a tragedy that would be! Establishing correct priorities in your life now will assist and assure you that it will never happen.
King Jesus had to get Saul's attention on the Damascus road, to prioritize his priorities. Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.
As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”
And he said, “Who are You, Lord?" Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.”
So he, trembling and astonished, said, “Lord, what do You want me to do?" Then the Lord said to him, “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” And the men who journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice but seeing no one. Then Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened he saw no one. But they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank.
Correct priorities mean the Lord God's priority, and the Lord God is seeking the Kingdom first! With God's priority in place as your priority, you can pursue life with confidence and with no fear or later regrets.
Acts 8:1-3 Acts 9:1-9
~~W.R. Luchie
Your correct priority protects your talents and gifts. Knowing what your priorities are will help you avoid expending your talents and gifts on unimportant or unworthy endeavors and unnecessary things. Most individuals today use their gifts and abilities in the pursuit of selfish and worldly goals that have nothing to do with the Kingdom of Heaven. Just watch television and the internet and you will see many preachers, prophets, evangelists, teachers, ministers, etc, who are focusing on their own agenda. This is especially evident in mega churches. Their top priority is gratifying their own desires. However, even good and honorable pursuits can become a problem if they distract us from other endeavors that are more important. Remember, Saul, before his priorities were changed, thought what he was doing to the Believers in the Kingdom was correct. Now Saul was consenting to his death. At that time a great persecution arose against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him. As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering every house, and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison. He had a gift, but the wrong priorities.
Imagine looking back on years of your life and realizing that you wasted your gifts and talents on the wrong purpose and never accomplished what you were put here on earth to do. What a tragedy that would be! Establishing correct priorities in your life now will assist and assure you that it will never happen.
King Jesus had to get Saul's attention on the Damascus road, to prioritize his priorities. Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.
As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”
And he said, “Who are You, Lord?" Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.”
So he, trembling and astonished, said, “Lord, what do You want me to do?" Then the Lord said to him, “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” And the men who journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice but seeing no one. Then Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened he saw no one. But they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank.
Correct priorities mean the Lord God's priority, and the Lord God is seeking the Kingdom first! With God's priority in place as your priority, you can pursue life with confidence and with no fear or later regrets.
Acts 8:1-3 Acts 9:1-9
~~W.R. Luchie
