Priorities

Recently I heard a young person say this: "My Priorities are Jesus, Dorito Tacos, and homework."  As soon as this was said I knew it wasn't true.  How?  I know this person well enough to know by how they live.  This person said this in the middle of a group of leaders at youth group at church.  My first thought was "Hmmmm, well how you live your life sure doesn't show that.  You do all sorts of things that counteract that statement.  It might be your deep desire, but your desires and your actions do not match."

After pondering this awhile, I wondered how many of us are like this.  We say one thing, but our actions do not line up.  They did in the Old Testament.  Many times the Israelites said that they would give up everything to follow God and do exactly what he says.  But then you look at the very next chapter and sometimes the next verse and you see something different.  They turned their backs on God and did evil, worshipped other gods, offered their children as sacrifices to these gods.

This makes me wonder why we are like that.  What makes us say one thing and do another?  Why don't our actions and words match up?  To be honest, there is  no easy answer.  We can see God at work in our lives, see miracles and healings and still go out and turn our backs against God and His perfect way.  Our hearts want both the power of God and the things this world offers.  Jesus himself tells us "No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other..." (Matthew 6:26).  We can tell this by looking at the example of Israel.  They tried to serve God and Idols and themselves, but in the end they served only themselves offering only lip service to God and the idols.

So what is the solution?  WE MUST STORE OUR TREASURE UP IN GOD, IN JESUS!  If we don't, we will end up serving our own fleshly desires.  We must allow the Holy Spirit to change our desires to match God's.  This is not easy and does not lead to an easy life.  It is very difficult and sometimes lonely.  But we if we want to serve God and God alone, and allow Jesus to the center of our lives, me must allow Him to change our hearts to resemble His.  We must also recognize that God will not make us want to love Him, that would make us robots and free will is lost.  We must freely choose to offer our lives, our words, our actions to Him and allow Him to transform us no matter the cost. 

Yes there is a cost involved.  It might cost us what we want.  It might cost us friends, money, fame, power, and even family, and could quite possibly be a lonely life.  But the rewards of following wholly after Jesus are well worth it.  We trade in a few years of ease and comfort for an eternity in His presence and the opportunity to speak with Him face to face one day.  Some say their priorities are Jesus, then other things, but what do their life choices show?  Look at your own life.  Do your choices reflect a desire to follow after Jesus 100%?  Or do they reflect a desire to follow your own desires?  It is a struggle we all have to face.  Count the cost.  What are you willing to pay to truly rearrange your priorities to put Jesus as #1?  Are you willing to lay down your life and desires and plans for the perfect plan that comes from God?  I pray that you choose Jesus, but will also respect your choice not to if the cost is too high.  I just ask that you are not like the individual at the opening of this piece that says Jesus is their number one priority when in fact it is obvious from how your life that it is not. 

Jesus help us all to follow you by laying down our rights and our freedom to pick up Your plan.  Help us to lay down our fear, our selfishness, selfish ambitions and blindness to truly take up our cross and follow you.  I pray that you will not have to say to any of us when we see you face to face to go away because You never knew us."