Putting First Things First!
Probably the most productive people in the world are those who create lists of what they want to get accomplished each day. Then they prioritize the list, making sure to do the things they have written in order of importance. At the end of each day, if there is anything that doesn’t get done, at least the most important things will have been accomplished.
And, before going to bed, they make a new list, beginning with those things which were not started, or finished on the that day that just passed. Once again, they begin by listing the top priorities and doing them when they awaken the next day.
And the process continues day after day, week after week, year after year. If one continues like this, you’d be pleasantly surprised what you can get done in your lifetime.
However, there is one priority that, if it gets neglected, it doesn’t matter what else you are able to achieve. Your life will not be eternally productive, and what you accomplish will one day be forgotten and of no importance. That priority is God! Cultivating our relationship with Him should always be at the top of our list.
It was William Law who said:
“If you have not chosen the Kingdom of God first, it will in the end make no difference what you have chosen instead.”
But more importantly, what does Scripture tell us about this subject? Here are a few verses that can give us a feel for what the Bible says.
First the writer of Proverbs tells us to:
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths.” (Proverbs 3:5,6)
And our Lord Jesus Christ says to us:
“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33).
Finally, Paul gives us this command:
“Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” (I Corinthians 10:31).
The truth is that this present life on this earth is short, and the majority of things that we think are priorities now, in a thousand years, will not matter at all. But our relationship with our Creator will last for all eternity, if we know Jesus Christ as our Savior. He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and it is because of Him that we exist and have a future beyond the grave. There should not be a greater priority than He is in our lives.
It was the great British missionary C.T. Studd who said, in a poem:
“Only one life, twill soon be past. Only what’s done for Christ will last.”
So, let us vow, as those who understand this truth, that our Lord will always be at the top of our priority list, and all our other desires and concerns will take second place to Him and His will. For if we do this, the rest of our lives will all fall into place. And, in the end, we will fulfill the purpose for which we were designed; to bring glory to the God of the universe!