Do you know how to set priorities? When several thingsa need to be done, are you able to decide which ones should come first in order of importance?
Suppose you are sitting peacefully in your living room watching the news on television. Suddenly you notice that the room is filling with smoke. Your house is on fire!
What do you do first? Do you get down on your knees and ask God for His help in stopping the fire? Do you call the fire department? Do you dash through the other rooms of your house to see if some other member of your family is caught in the fire? Do you run outside to get the hose and try to put the fire out?
All of those things may be necessary, but what do you do first? That is the big question!
Consider another example. One evening, you are in the middle of housecleaning. Your rooms are in disorder and neither you nor the other members of your family look presentable. The phone rings. It is your employer. He tells you that he will be over in a few minutes because he has something important to tell you.
What is the first thing you should do? Do you hurriedly put the house in order? Do you change your clothes and put on something more appropriate for the occasion? Do you check the kitchen to see if there is something you can offer your boss when he arrives?
Once again, all these things may be necessary, but what must you do first? It is a question of setting right priorities.
Priorities play a major role in our lives. We all have good intentions, at least most of the time. But what really counts is executing an intention at the appropriate moment—doing the right thing at the right time. As Solomon wrote, there is a time for everything under heaven (Ecclesiastes 3:1–8). Growth results from learning to put first things first.
Right and Wrong Priorities
Remember the story of Martha and Mary, the two sisters Christ visited? Both sisters liked and respected Christ very much. Both of them did what they thought was most important when He came to see them.
"Now it happened as they went that He [Christ] entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus' feet and heard His word. But Martha was distracted with much serving" (Luke 10:38–40).
There is nothing wrong with "much serving," is there? All of us are called to serve, and Christ Himself was the greatest servant of all. However, in this instance, priorities were at stake.
"Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone?" Martha asked Christ. "Therefore tell her to help me."
Christ answered: "Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her" (vv. 40–42). Just then, the most important thing Mary and Martha could do was listen to Christ's teaching.
When Christ called His disciples, some of them hesitated. Others followed Him right away, because they had their priorities straight. Simon Peter, for instance, "fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, 'Depart from me, for I am a sinful man'" (Luke 5:8).
Why did Peter say that? Because he and his fishermen friends had witnessed, a few moments earlier, an astonishing miracle Christ had performed (vv. 4–7). Simon Peter and his companions had their priorities right. Upon hearing Christ tell them, "'Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men'… they forsook all and followed Him" (vv. 10–11). No wonder James, John and Simon later became apostles!
However, not everyone reacted the way these three men did. Not everyone had the right sense of priorities. For instance, a man who had expressed a desire to follow Christ turned away from Him when he heard Him say, "Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head" (Luke 9:58).
Another man turned Christ's offer down, arguing that he first had to bury his father (v. 59). Now, what is wrong with that? Nothing! But Christ set the man's priorities straight. He told him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God" (v. 60).
Yet another man, upon being called, told Christ, "Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house" (v. 61).
Again, there is nothing wrong with saying farewell to those dear to you. But much more was involved in this particular case. Most importantly, God did not come first on this man's list of priorities. Also, you can almost detect a feeling of sorrow in his answer. He seemed to regret being called there and then, and perhaps he hoped his loved ones would convince him not to leave them for the sake of the Gospel! That is why Christ told him, "No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God" (v. 62).
Priorities and Your Calling
Do you remember the circumstances of your calling? How did you first react? Did you perhaps want to bury someone or something before truly deciding to follow Christ? Did you hesitate to turn away from the world, finding it hard to choose between those of your household and Christ? What was your attitude then—and what is it now?
Regrettably, some in the Church are still burying their dead fathers! Some are still looking back and trying to pursue their personal ambitions before deciding to follow Christ!
Time is running short. Rearrange your priorities before it is too late!
If you put first things first, God will always take care of your needs. This does not mean you should neglect your part and stop taking care of your household. It simply means that you are to put first things first—be filled with God and His Work. You must endeavor to please Him with your attitude and growth.
As Christ said, "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things [all that you need] shall be added to you" (Matthew 6:33). Do you believe this promise of God? If so, live by it!
Your baptism was symbolic of your decision to put God first in your life, no matter what the circumstances. Do you still feel the same way today? You accepted the condition to love God more than anyone or anything else, "with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind" (Matthew 22:37). This is the greatest commandment of all. Does it have first priority in your life? And after that does the second great commandment—loving your neighbor as yourself—have all priority in your life (vv. 38–39)?
As you can see, even love has priorities! First, you must love God, and then love your neighbor. This does not mean you should neglect loving your neighbor because you love God first. It is just a matter of priority. Actually, if you really love God—if you obey His commandments and do His will—you automatically love your neighbor, because you cannot love God without loving your neighbor (1 John 4:20). Remember not to neglect anything on your list of priorities.
God Came First in Abraham's Life
If you had a child whom you loved with all your being—and you had eagerly waited and prayed for years for him—would you be willing to give him up?
Abraham was put to such a test. Humanly speaking, it did not make much sense. Why did God give Abraham such a seemingly cruel order, saying, "Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering" (Genesis 22:2)?
Abraham must have spent a sleepless night struggling with his thoughts, wondering why God demanded such a sacrifice. He loved God, for sure. But he also loved his son Isaac very much. He had to choose between his love toward God and his love toward his son. The choice was all the more difficult since he did not understand its purpose.
Nevertheless, whatever Abraham's thoughts and concerns may have been, he set his priorities properly. He "rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son… and went to the place of which God had told him" (v. 3).
Would you have done this? Would you have obeyed God to the point of being willing to sacrifice your only son, whom you loved? Abraham passed the test.
How about you? Does God come first in your life, before anyone else, even members of your family? If you cannot put God first in your life today, how will you put Him first tomorrow, when things will be even tougher?
David's Priorities
Kings David and Saul had totally different attitudes. David's attitude made him a man after God's own heart, while Saul's caused him to be rejected. Have you ever considered that one of David's most important qualities, far outweighing his mistakes, was his sense of priorities?
Saul was jealous of David, and had gathered 3,000 men from all of Israel to seek David and kill him. Strangely enough, the circumstances changed, offering David a unique chance to capture and kill Saul when the king was resting in a cave. What an exceptional opportunity! After all, the two men were at war with each other, and Saul had proved himself to be merciless.
"Then the men of David said to him, 'This is the day of which the Lord said to you, "Behold, I will deliver your enemy into your hand, that you may do to him as it seems good to you"'" (1 Samuel 24:4).
It would have been only natural, humanly, for David to kill Saul, and to justify himself by saying that God had promised to make his enemies fall into his hands. But David did not reason that way. He "arose and secretly cut off a corner of Saul's robe. Now it happened afterward that David's heart troubled him because he had cut Saul's robe" (vv. 4–5).
Why? Why should David's heart have troubled him? He did not commit any crime! No, but on his list of priorities, obedience to God came first. "And he said to his men, 'The Lord forbid that I should do this thing to my master, the Lord's anointed, to stretch out my hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the Lord'" (v. 6).
There you are! Even though Saul wanted to kill him, David refused to do any injury to the king. Respecting God's anointed came before fighting for his own life. David's tremendous attitude is an example to all of us today. Is there any wonder why he will be a king in the soon-coming Kingdom of God? As for Saul, he carnally sought his own selfish interests, going after power and personal exaltation. That is why God rejected him.
Obey God Rather Than Men
The disciples of Christ, before receiving the Holy Spirit, did not have the necessary power and faith to fight the enemy. They forsook Jesus and fled when the Roman soldiers arrested Him. The promise they had made to Christ a few hours earlier, to never forsake Him, was not engraved on their list of priorities.
However, after their conversion, the disciples learned their priorities. Faithful to their mission, they preached the Gospel, despite threats and persecution.
On one occasion, when they were brought before the council, the high priest asked them, "Did we not strictly command you not to teach in this name?" But they answered, "We ought to obey God rather than men" (Acts 5:27–29).
A question of priorities! The disciples' lives were at stake, but they were willing to follow Christ's instructions even if it meant death. They had learned that "He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it" (Matthew 10:39).
On your own list of priorities, do God, His Church and His Gospel come before your own life? Or do you perhaps desperately cling to your own life for fear of losing it? Remember Christ's words! Unless you get your priorities straight, you may end up losing your life.
Bible Study and Prayer
As a true Christian, you should be aware that Bible study and prayer are two indispensable tools in your growth as a child of God. But how often do you use these tools? How much time do you spend with God and the Bible each day?
Some in the Church consider Bible study a hard chore! They do not seem to find time for it in their daily schedules. They do not realize that the more they study the Bible, the more they learn about the will of God and the way to please Him.
If you are truly Christian, the Bible must have priority over all of your other readings and studies. You are doing yourself a favor when you study the Bible. Bible study is a privilege, not a chore or a task.
And how is your prayer life? Do you look forward to speaking to God every day? Do you actually enjoy praying? Or has prayer become for you just a routine, a duty that you have to perform? If your priorities are straight, prayer automatically comes first in your life. It becomes the happiest moment in your day, because it allows you to spend some time with the Supreme Creator of the whole universe, the Almighty God who loves you and finds time to listen to you. Think of it! If He has time to listen to you, why would you not find time to talk to Him?
It takes much effort to maintain your priorities faithfully. It takes thinking and hard work. If the Church today is not quite ready for Christ's return, it is because, as a whole, we do not push hard enough and often lose our sense of priorities.
In a world that has cut itself off from God, Satan wants you to reverse your priorities or cast them aside altogether. Do not let that happen! Follow God. Obey Him. Put Him first—and you will be much happier.
Tithing
Tithing is a law. It is a blessing. When you tithe, you do not do God a favor, you do yourself a favor.
How do you pay your tithes? What is your attitude? Do you pay the first tenth of your check as soon as you receive it, or do you pay it only after you have paid your other bills? I remember Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong telling us during a ministerial conference that he always paid his tithe first, as soon as he received his check. His other bills had to wait. The first check he wrote was always to give God what is God's.
What a wonderful example for all of us to follow! Put God first in your life. Some of God's people have lost the blessings that result from paying tithes, because they bargain with God. They have lost their sense of priorities. They do not realize that tithing is a privilege and a blessing, not a burden.
Today, some people try to abide by the letter of the law and not the spirit. They try to bargain with God when paying their tithes. They will cut corners to see how much they can save, or how little they can possibly give. With that attitude, tithing becomes a chore and not a blessing. God loves a cheerful giver, and He is able to provide you with every blessing (2 Corinthians 9:6–7). Are you a cheerful giver?
The Purpose of Your Calling
Do you really know and understand the purpose of your calling? Did God call you specifically in order to save you at this time, or to entrust you with a certain task in this world? That is a question every Church member should ask himself—and understand the answer.
You were not called just to be saved, but to be part of a team to do a job. That is a priority—a priority for your being called! Your own salvation for the moment is not a priority; your fulfilling the task is. If you faithfully do your part and persevere until the end, you will be saved. However, if you neglect your share and turn away, God will raise someone else to do your part.
We in God's Church today are the firstfruits. In a sense, it is like having received a birthright from God. We are the first ones called before the big harvest, with a mission to prepare for that big harvest.
Sadly, some have sold—or are selling—their birthrights, just like Esau did. But once Esau lost it, he ended up despising it. In like manner, once you lose your sense of priorities, you lose your sense of values. Do not neglect your birthright. Do not disdain it. Set your priorities straight.
Perhaps one of the hardest priorities of all is to humble yourself, and to count others better than yourself (Philippians 2:3).
Satan wants you to be puffed up. God wants you to be humble. Satan will do everything in his power to make you feel that you are better than others. But God wants you to count others better than yourself. That is the difference between God's teaching and the teaching of the world under Satan's influence.
As God's people, we need to learn our priorities. The Bible is our manual. Our Teacher is God, through the writings of the prophets and the apostles. Whatever the circumstances, we should live to please God. That is our first and foremost priority!