Priorities and to-do lists

While having money is not a sin, loving it and loving all it can buy is not God’s idea. Like everything else that God gives, money is His property, not mine. In fact, I am not an owner but a steward. How can a steward use her Master’s property for herself?

Not only that, throughout the Bible God warns against greed and selfishness. He tells His people that their lives will not prosper if they get their priorities backwards. This means that if I am going to live for Him, I need to consider what He has to say about money and ownership and having stuff.

I also need to consider my priorities. What is most important in God’s mind? Do I fritter away my hours doing what pleases me? Doing what has no bearing on His kingdom? Or has He other plans?

For instance, back in 525 BC or thereabouts, He wanted His temple rebuilt. Instead of getting on that, God’s people were building “paneled houses” for themselves. God said to them:

Thus says the LORD of hosts: Consider your ways. Go up to the hills and bring wood and build the house, that I may take pleasure in it and that I may be glorified, says the LORD. You looked for much, and behold, it came to little. And when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why? declares the LORD of hosts. Because of my house that lies in ruins, while each of you busies himself with his own house. Therefore the heavens above you have withheld the dew, and the earth has withheld its produce. And I have called for a drought on the land and the hills, on the grain, the new wine, the oil, on what the ground brings forth, on man and beast, and on all their labors. (Haggai 1:7–11)

This short passage tells me a great deal about God’s priorities. His house was more important than their houses. He was pleased with this place of worship and that He was glorified in that place. Their obedience to rebuild it was more important than their personal homes and personal success. While it was not wrong that they had nice houses, it was sin to leave their place of worship in ruins while they furthered their own desires.

Today, God’s dwelling place is not in a building, but in each of His people. 1 Corinthians 6:19–20 says, “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.”

Construction of this temple means giving full attention to spiritual growth and Christian maturity. This comes first, above any other kind of success. God is more concerned that I am a godly person who lives in obedience to Him than I sell books, make beautiful art, or become successful in the eyes of the world in any other endeavor. He also wants me to be pure, keep myself from sin, and not allow spiritual ruin of any kind. When I, “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness,” He promises that, “all these things will be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33)

Also, Christians collectively are the temple of God. Ephesians 2:21–22 says that in Christ, “the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.”

This means that the people of God and our collective spiritual health is more important than my personal well-being. I am to live like Jesus lived by putting others first and giving attention to the spiritual health of the Body of Christ. This means I am to, “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than (myself), looking not only to (my) own interests, but also to the interests of others.” (Philippians 2:3–4)

As I read these verses and compare them to my to-do list, I can usually see what needs to happen first, yet there are also verses that tell me to take care of my home and family. For instance, 

Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. (Titus 2:3–5)

Even as these verses are about mentoring others, they are also about my own obedience toward home and family responsibilities. I am to work at home and care for my family, in love and yielded to the will of God. For me, this is primary. I can easily get caught up in all sorts of other things and not bother with the boring, like cleaning bathrooms and weeding the garden.

Every day brings choices. Every day God encourages me to put Him first, talk to Him first, not only first in the morning but before all choices, even before doing those other things that are clearly His will. I need His advice, strength, encouragement and guidance. After all, I am a steward, and stewards are custodians. In all things, the Master has the final say.

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Father, people say Your Word is an old book and not relevant these days. They have no idea how much You help Your people with decisions and daily choices. I want my life to have significance, yet realize how much the world’s way of measuring success is flawed and self-centered. Eternal significance is achieved only by doing Your will, from the heart. My actions may be flawed and often seem insignificant, but if done in obedience, then faith tells me that You will give them lasting value.