Priorities

Me! Me! Me! That's what our world is about, isn't it? I am an actress, I'm under the spotlight, I get what I want, and I want it now! We live in a world of music, ads, television shows, magazines, that all show us our selfish desires! Try this new product, wear this new fashion trend, eat this delicious pizza for only 19.95! And if you hurry, we'll double the offer! And wait there's more! That's not what we're about, that's not what any of this is about, that's not what life... is about. Selfishness and greed have begun to rule our lives, and if we don't stop now, we could lose focus of the only priority we should have-- God. Today I would like you to listen as I go through the many ways to keep God as your priority. Reading your bible, praying, and keeping yourself accountable can lead to a God centered life. 

One, read your bible. If you don't, how are you supposed to even begin to know what God wants you to do? Much less base your entire lifestyle off of him. In Joshua 1:8 it says "This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success." 

Reading the word of God and having this lifestyle can not only set your priorities straight but lead to a successful life! This is a kind of success that cannot be bought nor taught in a self help book. God has given us His word. 

God has given us His word to prosper us and make our lives better, and free of greed and selfishness. But how are we supposed to get into the habit of reading our bibles? I don't know about you, but my schedule is pretty full at the moment. Make time for God. If your schedule is too busy to allow for fifteen or twenty minutes a day to read from the bible, than trust me, you need to alter your routine. Get into the habit of reading your bible. It will be very beneficial not only to you, but to others. 

So first we must read your bible, second we need to pray. Matthew 26:41 says to "Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.." Prayer is strengthening and uplifting and should be used in every circumstance. In this verse in Matthew, God tells us that our spirit is willing but our flesh is weak. He is saying that even though our hearts want to be faithful to Him, our earthly desires are very tempting. 

Prayer can help center our lives around Jesus. Take for instance Daniel who prayed daily to God and was saved. He prayed even though it was against the law, and was thrown into the lions den! He prayed while he was in the den and the mouths of the lions were shut. Isn't that amazing? One man's prayer and the power of God can hold off lions! Don't you think that God can handle your sin and greed and selfishness if he can handle lions? 

So, we have covered the first two ways, bible reading and prayer. Lastly you must have people to keep you accountable. The Christians in the early church relied on each other to help them make good decisions. They made sure that no one was sinning and were open with each other. Even early on Christians struggled. Since the beginning, man has been greedy and self centered, but having uplifting people around you can help ease the struggle of having all of this pressure to buy this and that and the other. 

Having those to keep your priorities straight is critical to being a Christian. I have friends who help me remember to discipline myself when reading the bible, and people who remind me who I am and whose I am. This support system is invaluable in today's society of busyness and tight schedules filled with thing that we want to do rather than things that God wants us to do. We can't fight out selfish wants alone. We need to stand together. 

God tells us that He is to be our one and only priority in life. And yes it is hard with flashing dollar signs and the latest wedges and cute sunglasses and great deals on things you really don't need all around you. But if you read the bible, pray, and stay accountable, your greed and selfishness will be in the hands of God. God can give us the ability to withstand anything the world throws at us if we make Him our one priority. Read His word, pray to Him, and have your fellow Christians keep you accountable. Shoes and makeup and other things are not to be our focus. Because the most important things in life aren't 19.95.