Day 47: Reflecting Priorities

Reading: Psalm 22:12-21

One of my favorite quotes is "He gave His life for you; live yours for Him." We are given plenty of reason to make God our number one priority in life. He sent His Son to die for our sins and take our punishment, even though He never did anything wrong. Making God our number 1 in life will direct us down paths greater than if we put other things in our lives first. He is our ultimate happiness and contentment. If we try to put anything over Him, we will find ourselves frustrated and disappointed in life. Look to Him and remember what He has done for us.

What things in life do you try to put before God?



When have you been disappointed by those things?




Reading: Mark 1:29-2:17

We can learn quite a bit about priorities when we look at Jesus' life and what He cared deeply about. We read here that He cared deeply for the sick and the lost. Jesus also wen to be alone with His Father to pray. As we read earlier, spending time with God should be our first priority and He should be the One who calls all the shots in our lives. As a church, we need to make sure that Christ is the head of the church, not a group of people or one person.
We read here though, that our next priority should be those who are lost, when it comes to the church anyways. Jesus makes quite a statement when He invites Levi to follow Him, even though Levi is a tax collector that many look down on. When Jesus eats with Him at his house, people question Him. Jesus states that He came for the lost, not those who are already saved. Why would a church only exist for those who are saved, especially when Jesus is pretty straight-forward about it here?
As a church, our first priority is Christ, then those outside of the church, and finally those inside. May we never lose sight of why Christ came.

How do you feel about people outside of the church?



What do you think we can do to reach people outside of the church?




Reading: Exodus 19:1-20:26

Rules are set by people who care deeply about something. When a parent cares deeply for their child, they set rules because they want so desperately for them to live happy, healthy lives. Many people misread the 10 Commandments as just a set of rules God sets down before us to take away our freedom, but this is definitely not the case.
God sets these rules before us because like a parent cares for a child, He cares for our well-being. And in all honestly, our priorities will be reflected by how we respond to these commandments. The first four come naturally if we put God first and love Him. The rest come naturally when we put others first and love them. It all reflects to the greatest commandment - Love the Lord, your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. And the second greatest - Love your neighbor as yourself. When we put God first, the rules just come naturally. When we put others before ourselves, those rules also come with it. But when we decide to live a life of rebellion and simply view the rules as being there to stifle our freedom, we will find it very hard to do life without consequences.

How do you view the 10 Commandments in your life?



What rules do you set? How does this show what you care most about?




Our priorities should focus on God first, then others, then ourselves. In church, God is the head and comes first, then those outside, then the inside. Jesus lays this out quite bluntly, and as followers, we should do what He did. We shouldn't view His rules as ways to limit us, but as ways to set us free. When we are living lives that put God as first priority, those rules are seamless and just come with how we live without even thinking about them. Your response tells a lot about where your priorities lie.