I recently received a message from a friend of mine that has started me to wonder about priorities in our lives. I know that Jesus made it clear that we are to SEEK GODS KINGDOM FIRST. (Matthew 6:33) I think that most of us interpret it in the framework of our culture. They may be a big mistake.
This friend of mine told me that their family dropped out of church quite a few years ago. The reasons they gave were:
1. They had season tickets to their favorite NFL team.
2. Their three kids were involved in all kinds of sports which meant Sunday games.
Now after the kids are grown, the husband has cancer. The cancer became a wake-up call for them. They are now back in church with their extended family and realize that they had put OTHER THINGS as priorities in their lives. They can’t retrieve those lost years, but thankfully God is the God of second chances and last Sunday there were 21 of their family worshiping together.
It seems to me that our culture is selling us the idea that WE and our DESIRES are more important than the teachings of Jesus. I think it is time to check the BURNING BUSHES (attention getters) in our lives and to listen to what God is saying.
What do you think?
-Mel
Mel,
Thank the LORD for the burning bushes in our lives. What grieves me is all the gifts and fantastic experiences God had for this couple and they traded it. Yikes.
Love your blog. Hugs, Lynn
We are a nation of idols that refuse to identify them as such. In my twenties, the Lord confronted me with a challenge to praise Him with the enthusiasm that people have for their football teams…that He was far more worth it. This challenge has made me see idolatry differently for decades…and feel God’s heart. Thanks for this challenge, Mel. Praise Him that His mercy woos us to His redemption.
Thanks Mel – this was great!. For quite a while I was telling myself that I was being a good “church going Christian” while justifying the distractions in my life. I was choosing to let seemingly harmless things and other distractions take my focus off of seeking God’s Kingdom first. I believe that God tried to get my attention with a well placed burning bush here and there, and after a while God finally just allowed those distractions not to be available to me anymore. After an extended time of “mourning” and self-pity over losing possessions and the ability to do all the things we used to do – I’m finally coming to a place where I can see things more clearly and accept that I have been blessed with having more time to serve Him and more time to study Him. In the world’s eyes we have lost a lot and are in no position to rejoice – but I’m happy to say that most of the time we have a great appreciation for having less distractions in our life – and it’s definitely made me pay more attention to the burning bushes that continue to come along