If we do not understand our Christian priorities, we may find ourselves looking back at a great deal of activity, and feeling a great deal of regret over the decisions we made—and failed to make.
Setting the right priorities is vital for our success as Christians. Yet even some very zealous Christians may be surprised by what the Bible really teaches on this subject.
As God’s Spirit-begotten children, we are preparing to enter the Kingdom of God. We are about to graduate and be inducted into God’s Family to help rule the world under Jesus Christ. But each of us must qualify for a position of rulership. To help us qualify, we need to prioritize our time.
You may have heard of the phenomenon known as the “super-deacon.” This is a man who, upon ordination, seems to be in the center of every decision made by his local congregation. Should the floor be mopped before services, or should it be vacuumed? What about after services? Must all the after-services snacks be gluten-free, or is it acceptable to have just one gluten-free offering? What about white sugar in the snacks? Meanwhile, how many parking spaces must be reserved for visitors with special needs? How many parking attendants will be needed? And who is their boss?
Sometimes this super-deacon will even try to influence those matters that are usually the pastor’s prerogative—and then he may express hurt or upset if the pastor insists on doing things a different way.
Yes, most of us have seen this phenomenon. And, yes, there is also such a thing as a “super-deaconess”—whether she is a general in the “coffee-pot wars” or whether she simply insists on micromanaging the personal decisions of other ladies when it is not her business to do so.
Thankfully, the vast majority of those serving in the Living Church of God do not fit those stereotypes. We strive to follow Dr. Meredith’s frequent admonitions to practice “servant leadership” in all we do. Yet, with so much to accomplish and relatively few workers to carry out the needed tasks, it can be easy for a zealous Church member to become so wrapped up in Church activity that he or she finds that activity cutting into time that would otherwise be spent earning a living or caring for family members.
Surely there can be nothing wrong with going “all-out” to serve—or can there in fact be a hidden danger? What does Scripture actually teach us? The Apostle Paul knew how important it is to recognize the value of our time: “And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed” (Romans 13:11).
The less time we have, the more valuable our time becomes. Dr. Meredith often emphasizes the importance of time management—and has done so as recently as his March-April 2016 Tomorrow’s World “Personal” which he has titled “Make Every Day Count!” Indeed, since time is running out for every one of us, we must be careful to prioritize and use our time wisely. If we do not understand our Christian priorities, we may find ourselves looking back at a great deal of activity and feeling a great deal of regret over the decisions we made—and failed to make.
So, why should we prioritize? And what should those priorities be?
Priority 1: Put God First
“And God spoke all these words, saying: ‘I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before Me’” (Exodus 20:1–3).
God thundered those words from Mount Sinai. He further commanded: “You shall not make for yourself any carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God…” (vv. 4–5).
God does not want us to worship any other god or to put anything else ahead of Him! God says we are to worship Him, and Him alone. He has to be first in our lives.
Notice further: “And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested Him [Christ], saying, ‘Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?’ He said to him, ‘What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?’ So he answered and said, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.’ And He said to him, ‘You have answered rightly; do this and you will live’” (Luke 10:25–28).
Clearly, we must put God first—in our minds, our hearts and our lives. But how do we put God first? How do we show God that we truly love Him? The Apostle John tells us: “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3).
Day by day we are learning how to love God, and we love Him more and more as we strive to keep His commandments. “…By this we know that we are in Him. He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked” (1 John 2:5–6).
The way to walk with Christ is to imitate Him—even in our thinking. This can only be done through daily Bible study and prayer.
We need to ask ourselves if we are putting our personal relationship with our Creator first. Or do we allow other things in our lives to come before the true God? Are we striving to keep God’s commandments every day with the help of the Holy Spirit?
Now, if we are putting God first through Bible study and prayer, if we are setting our sights on the Kingdom of God (Matthew 6:33), we will be growing in the character of Almighty God, our heavenly Father. We will be preparing to be born into His Family!
Priority 2: Put Family Second
We know that “family” is extremely important to God because He is in the process of preparing to expand His divine Family. So it follows that our physical families should be priority number two.
Our family relationships begin with our parents. The fifth commandment tells us to “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you” (Exodus 20:12). This applies to all parents, deserving or not. God did not say, “If they are worthy of it.” Some of us have had good relationships with mothers and fathers, and can be grateful for that. Yet even those who have not had good relationships with their parents are still commanded to honor them!
God considers honoring our parents so important that during the Old Testament dispensation, He pronounced the death penalty on any who would strike their fathers or mothers, or even merely curse them (Exodus 21:15, 17). That is how seriously God looks at honoring our parents! We must not lift a hand against them, either physically or psychologically.
For those of us whose parents have died, there is nothing more we can do for them except keep up a right attitude toward them. Our children and their children will still be influenced by the attitudes we display regarding our deceased parents, so we still want to set the best example we can, honoring the memories of our deceased parents, encouraging our nieces, nephews and grandchildren to honor their parents, and so on.
Love Your Mate
Part of our second priority in life includes love and respect toward our mates. The Apostle Paul instructs husbands and wives, “Let the husband render to his wife the affection due her, and likewise also the wife to her husband”(1 Corinthians 7:3).
If we affirmed before God that we were going to take this man or this woman, and God solemnized that service and that wedding, are we going to break our word before God by not loving them, or by putting our mate away? We promised to take our mate until death do us part, through both sickness and good health.
Paul further states, “And a woman who has a husband who does not believe, if he is willing to live with her, let her not divorce him. For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband; otherwise your children would be unclean, but now they are holy” (vv. 13–14).
A big problem in marriage is that when a husband and wife come together and live with each other for a while, and the “honeymoon is over,” suddenly one or the other mate realizes that this person is not really the way she, or he, thought they were. Then the mate goes to work in an attempt to change the other.
This is entirely the wrong approach! We must never forget what marriage symbolizes. Two becoming one—one flesh!
“So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones” (Ephesians 5:28–30).
Devastation occurs within families broken by divorce. Those who have come from divorced homes know the hurt, the pain and suffering they went through as children. How can parents do that to their little innocent babies that come out of their own bodies? Christ Himself acknowledged that there are indeed cases when divorce, awful as it is, is preferable to the suffering caused by one spouse’s deceit or unfaithfulness. All too often, however, in our modern “me first” society, divorce comes about because of selfishness when one or both spouses become unwilling to do what it takes to keep the family together any longer! When a husband and wife become “one flesh” and produce children from this union, these children belong to both parents. They are part of our physical families, and sometimes our spiritual families, when they are converted.
Children grow up so quickly! We need to love them, frequently picking them up and hugging them. Let them know they are really loved. Let them know you are first in their lives.
Sometimes there has to be a little correction to help channel a child in the way he or she should go. But Paul warns fathers, “…do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged” (Colossians 3:21).
Do not discourage your children by demanding perfection. When God first called us and we realized He is our heavenly Father, were we able to suddenly be perfect? The answer is a resounding “no”! Rather, we should be patient with our children, just as our heavenly Father is patient with us—His Spirit-begotten children. Again, fathers are told “…do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4).
Children have an important obligation within the family as well. Notice Paul’s instruction directed to them: “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right” (v. 1). Yes, they should obey their parents—“in the Lord.” Once again Paul instructs children, “Honor your father and mother, which is the first commandment with promise: that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth” (vv. 2–3).
Priority 3: Work Diligently
The Apostle John gave greetings to, “The elder, to the beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth: Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers” (3 John 1–2). God inspired these words. He wants us to prosper. But in order to prosper, we must be diligent in our work.
Solomon said: “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going” (Ecclesiastes 9:10). Solomon also added: “He who deals with a slack hand becomes poor, but the hand of the diligent makes one rich” (Proverbs 10:4).
“Here is what I have seen,” says Solomon. “It is good and fitting for one to eat and drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labor in which he toils under the sun all the days of his life which God gives him; for it is his heritage” (Ecclesiastes 5:18).
The opportunity to work is a gift from God. “As for every man to whom God has given riches and wealth, and given him power to eat of it, to receive his heritage and rejoice in his labor—this is the gift of God, for he will not dwell unduly on the days of his life, because God keeps him busy with the joy of his heart” (vv. 19–20).
Yes, we must work. The Apostle Paul famously told the Thessalonian brethren, “If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat” (2 Thessalonians 3:10). Those who cannot work should indeed be the recipients of our love, our mercy and our charity. But those who are able to work should not feel that they can get away with shirking their work yet still expecting a handout.
This even applies to volunteer work for our brethren and the Church. It is wonderful when brethren make time to serve one another. Yet if you are fired from your job because you skipped work in order to help a friend move to a new apartment, you should not blame your employer. We owe our employers our loyal and faithful service. Paul reminded the Colossian brethren: “Bondservants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but in sincerity of heart, fearing God” (Colossians 3:22). If you slack off at your work, and you use the excuse of Church service or helping your brethren, then you are not fulfilling your God-given priorities.
Yet the workday does come to an end, and there comes a time when your diligent work has fulfilled your duties and has earned the income to provide for your family. When that time comes, Scripture nowhere counsels us to become “workaholics” whose long hours keep us away from our families or rob us of opportunities to serve our brethren. We work at our jobs because we must provide for our families and help support the Work of the Church. That is a requirement of God, yet it has to be in the right priority and in proper balance. Jesus Christ Himself worked hard to preach the true Gospel, and pushed His body to the limits of what it could endure (Luke 22:44). Yet He knew the value of rest, for Him and for His disciples (Mark 6:31–32).
This life is our opportunity to develop God’s very own holy and righteous character in our own selves. As firstfruits, this is our day of salvation. And that day is running out! So, always remember to put God first, and family next, then exercise due diligence on the job, trusting that God will make up the difference. He promises, “seek the Kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you” (Luke 12:31).
Priority 4: Serve the Spiritual Family
Service to our spiritual brothers and sisters in Christ is our fourth priority. It is important that we pay attention to our relationship to the various members of the spiritual body of Christ—the Church of God.
“Therefore, in all things, He [Jesus Christ] had to be made like His brethren…” (Hebrews 2:17). We are Christ’s brothers and sisters because we were all begotten by the same Spirit from the same Father. If the Holy Spirit dwells within you, you are a spiritual brother or sister of Jesus Christ, King of the Universe!
Someone told Christ, “Look, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak with You. But He answered and said to the one who told Him, ‘Who is My mother and who are My brothers?’ And He stretched out His hand toward His disciples and said, ‘Here are My mother and My brothers!’” (Matthew 12:47–49).
As a Christian, your mothers and fathers and your brothers and sisters are all those who believe and obey the truth and have received the same Spirit from God. They are our spiritual family, and the tie is much closer than blood ties. “For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother” (v. 50).
As we become more and more attuned to God’s will and follow His commandments, we bond together with others who are doing the same, even if we do not know them, because that bond is through the Holy Spirit.
We love one another, we grow together, we support one another and we aid one another within the body of Christ. God’s Church cannot function without the willing support, labor and love of its members.
Serving on the Sabbath
“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching” (Hebrews 10:23–25).
Although the Sabbath gathering is a commanded assembly, a number of brethren do not attend Sabbath services every week. Some are burdened by a physical illness that prevents their attendance. Others may have difficulty with transportation. Many of these brethren would very eagerly attend Sabbath services regularly, if they could.
But what about those who could attend weekly, but frequently choose not to do so? Some few may be unaware of God’s admonitions about assembling together. Others may underestimate the importance of receiving the vital instruction and correction they would gain at services. Perhaps they are not attending regularly because they have an unresolved grievance against the minister or some of the brethren. By staying away, they deprive themselves of opportunities to serve their brothers and sisters in Christ by sharing their fellowship!
It is not that we are necessarily sinning if we cannot attend Sabbath services every week. But if we do not attend faithfully, we should examine our attitudes. Perhaps we live hundreds of miles from the nearest congregation, or perhaps a family member needs constant care and cannot travel long distances. Do we miss services with some regret, because we have no other choice—or are we looking for excuses as to why “it’s really OK” that we stay away, even when we know we could attend?
The Church of God is composed of many members, and we all have various gifts, talents and abilities. We all have something that we can contribute in service to God and to one another on the Sabbath day, even simply by attending services! Paul stated: “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service” (Romans 12:1). Each of us, in coming before God on the Sabbath, is presenting to Him a body, a mind and a heart. If we willfully stay away from our brethren, we are not only disobeying God and depriving ourselves—we are acting selfishly toward those brethren who would benefit from our presence.
So, examine yourself and ask: “Am I doing all I responsibly can to take part in Church services and activities?” God wants to see in us a track record of obedience to Him and love for the brethren—a firm, solid record built on the principles of Jesus Christ and His mind in us—before He will entrust us with the very powers of the universe! It is not too late to start.
Keeping the Right Order
We have seen that the four imperatives, the four priorities, in order, are: 1) God, 2) family, 3) work and 4) Church. If you have not set aside the time to nurture your relationship with God, you can be sure that your other priorities will suffer. “I don’t need to pray three times a day, because I’m so busy painting brethren’s houses” is not an excuse that will bear good fruit. Similarly, if you spend so much time serving other brethren that you neglect your own family members, this will not bear good fruit in the long-term. And if you “serve the Church” with such energy that you cannot hold on to a job or a family, Scripture makes it clear that you do not have your priorities in order.
Rather, if we keep these priorities in balance—not neglecting any of them, and not putting them in the wrong order—we can pursue them all with vigor and confidence, looking forward to the time when we will find ourselves standing before Jesus Christ as Spirit beings, glistening in glory, as He returns to earth to bring world peace, happiness and prosperity to all mankind!
—LCG Editorial Staff
Editor’s Note: This article was adapted from an excellent original text written several years ago by Living Church of God member Richard H. Sedliacik, who succeeded Dr. C. Paul Meredith as an editor and writer for the Ambassador College Bible Correspondence Course. Mr. Sedliacik in turn had written his original article after hearing a Living Church of God elder give a sermon on this topic, which was consulted again in the creation of this updated article. All of which is to say that when you, our readers, hear a sermon that especially moves you, please encourage the speaker to contact the Editorial Department at Headquarters ([email protected]) to discuss its adaptation into an article.