Examining Our Priorities

Who has first place in your heart?  What is priority one in your life?  Jesus commands us to “Seek first God’s kingdom and his righteous­ness” (Matthew 6:33).  By contrast, Revelation 2:4 paints the sad picture of a church that had lost its first love.  Secondary matters can be important, of course—such as working to put food on the table and clothes on our backs.  But they come second.  And when we treat secondary issues like primary concerns, it’s a catastrophe.

Jesus teaches that making material security our driving ambition reveals “little faith” (Matthew 6:30).  To put it differently, a lifestyle centered on your needs, your advancement, and your success, and that hinges on achieving temporal, physical comforts and stability, is a lifestyle of failing to trust in Jesus.

Key question:  Is the honor of God a weighty reality for you?  Is the glory of Christ the North Star of your life?  Is the kingship of Jesus the axis around which your—and our—life revolves?

If, deep down, your honest answer is “No,” receive a dose of God’s soul-healing medicine from Psalm 62.  Over and over King David says “God alone”:  other things matter, but the sheer reality of an awesome God towers above them all.  “For God alone my soul waits in silence” (v 1).  “He alone is my rock and my salvation” (v 2).  David repeats these statements in vv 5-6:  “God alone… he alone”!  Then he summarizes:  Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us (v 8).  At all times.

Since we’re tempted to measure our success over against that of other people, David adds that those of both “low estate” and “high estate” are virtually nothing compared to God—the poor and the rich are but “a breath” and “a delusion” (v 9).  The wonder of God is heavy, while the status of man is “lighter than a breath” (v 9).  Material wealth comes with an alarm:  “If riches increase, set not your heart on them” (v 10).  Instead, give your heart to the praise of our all-glorious God!