Recognizing Priority
Recognizing what is priority in your life is really important. In some seasons, the busyness in our lives can cloud our judgement on what should come first. Distractions have the potential to take our mind off the ultimate goal. When the 72 returned they were joyous and full of enthusiasm because of their victorious mission saying, "Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name." (Luke 10:17) Jesus had to remind them that their most important victory isn't the fact that demons submit to them, but that their names were registered in heaven. (Luke 10:20) Making it to the kingdom of Heaven is the ultimate goal; it is priority. Don't let the hype of kingdom victories cause you to forget your "why". Stay focused and hold on to your reason. This doesn't mean we can't celebrate our kingdom victories, it's just a reminder to keep your eyes on the prize at the end of the day.
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Even the Samaritan knew what was priority. He stopped everything he was doing to take care of the man that was left for dead on the side of the road. While everyone else passed for their own selfish reasons, the Samaritan lived by scripture in this moment. (Matthew 22:37-39) The Samaritan was able to shift his priority based on the circumstance. The circumstances in our lives have the possibility to change rapidly, and we have to be able to move just as rapid. Can you imagine being our way to the store to run errands, and seeing a half-dead man on the side of the road? We have to take a moment and put ourselves in the shoes of the people we read about in the bible, because they were real people.
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A couple years ago I was on the way to Target to pick up a TV for my new apartment. I had just moved in, and I was excited to finally get everything I needed for my new home. Target was closing soon, so we had to get there before it was too late. Well, about half way there a car ran into a truck at a intersection and the truck started flipping towards us at full speed. The truck flipped over five times and I remember seeing the people fly out of the truck into the ditch of water. It was in that moment that I had to switch my priority from going to Target to helping this family. I got out the car, called 911, and begin to pray on the scene. I called their family and had to explain to them what happend, it was one of the hardest phone calls I'd ever had to make. That day I saw people lose their lives, I saw the paramedics shock bodies in attempt to save them, I saw families cry their hearts out.
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For a while I lived in trauma, and It was hard to sleep at night. I think about it now, and I realize that the things we experience aren't always for us. It is now that i'm able to use that moment, in correlation with these scriptures, to show you how important it is to shift your priority. I could have easily keep going and said it's more important to catch Target before they close, but I knew that wasn't the case. I knew that was where God needed me to be. Are you able to differentiate what's priority is your life from what isn't? Are you able to shift and move with the circumstances of life? Martha wasn't able to shift her priority at the change of circumstances in her life. She opened her home to Jesus and his disciples, and was so distracted by all the preparations that she missed an opportunity to be one with Jesus. (Luke 10:40) Jesus didn't fault Martha for being concerned with household duties, because they were important. He was only asking her to set correct priorities like her sister Mary. (Luke 10:42) Priorities can change like the seasons, don't be so busy that you forget to move with them. Don't allow your distractions to rob you of what's priority.
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Take a moment to reflect on this, and ask yourself, "What's priority in my life right now?"