"He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ "- Luke 10:27
Some of you might be old enough to remember the plate spinners on the old Ed Sullivan Show or even at the circus. Plate spinning is a circus act in which a person spins plates, bowls, or other mostly flat objects on long, thin poles. Of course, the idea was to keep the plates spinning and not let them fall lest they break. Of course, the more plates that were spinning, the more the guy continually ran around keeping them all going.
So many of us today live like plate-spinners. We have so much going on that we are continually busy running around to get it all done and can’t focus on just one or even two.
Others of us are so focused on certain particular things that demand all our attention – and we gladly give it. Obsession comes in many forms, some of which we don’t even recognize as what it is - imprisonment. Work, materialism, education, athletics, fitness, “hobbies”, beauty, drugs alcohol, sex. Each one of these can become such a singular obsession.
Let’s face it—everyone has priorities. It is often said that one need only look at one's calendar and checkbook to determine where one's priorities have been set. We all make sure to arrange our schedules and our budgets according to the perceived importance of our priorities. Of course, there are so many competing forces pulling at our time that it’s often hard to “find time” for God.
So, we must each ask ourselves - where does God fit into my life? Is he one of the plates I’m spinning? Or, perhaps he just kind of slipped in on Sundays because…well, because that’s what is expected. My job, my family, my hobbies – and then, church, if I’m not too tired or doing something else. Church gets sort of lumped in or bypassed entirely, doesn’t it?
But the thing is – God doesn’t want to be lumped in. He wants to be first priority in your life.
When Jesus was asked, “What is the greatest commandment in the Law?” He replied, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul and with all your mind.” (Matthew 22:37)
So, a good fundamental question to ask yourself is: Do you love the Lord that way?
Building a Foundation for Living a Life that Prioritizes God
Whatever the reasons, too often, we live with the wrong things at the center of our lives. We allow earthly success, admiration of others, identity in our work, an image of perfection, or whatever…to be what drives us. Ultimately, though, living for the things of this world will only bring exhaustion, disappointment, and unfulfilled longings. We end up living for the “if only” and the “someday when.”
As He neared the end of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus offered this parable about where and how we ought to build a foundation for our lives:
"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, yet it did not fall because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” (Matthew 7:24-27)
Human desires are limitless, ever-expanding voids. One may have “everything” in the world and still be miserable—still wanting more, unable to find peace and joy. When the storms come, we will find that the foundation of our lives is built on sand. When God is our source of joy, then we are truly content, even if we have nothing in this world.
Putting God first means that He—and only He—sits on the throne of our lives. Anything else—like money, jobs, possessions…or even our families—is a form of idolatry. God should be the principal figure in our lives. He is central to all we think and do. In other words, we are totally devoted to our relationship with him.
At another point during the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught that we ought not to worry about life here—not to be overly concerned about what we’ll eat, drink, or wear. He taught that life is far more than the things we own and how we live—that this life is temporary, and the Lord knows what we need here.
"So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." -Matthew 6:31-34
“Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness.” We are to seek the things of God – not the things of the world. We are to seek first the salvation of Christ and the kingdom of God – which is of far greater value than anything this world has to offer.
C.S. Lewis famously said, “Aim at Heaven, and you’ll get Earth ‘thrown in’; aim at Earth, and you will get neither.”
Prioritizing a Sabbath in Sanctifying Faith
As parents, we set the rules and guidelines for our children because we know what is best for them. It is no different with the Lord. He has set commands for us and given us guidelines because he knows what is best for us. We hear so much about the Sabbath – especially in connection with the fourth commandment. “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.” (Exodus 20:8). Despite the truth that we are no longer under the Law but under grace (Romans 6:14), many believers still hold that there remains a directive that we “must attend church and must not work.” While that discussion is for another time – I do believe the Sabbath was given to us for a reason – for our own good. It wasn’t just a commandment to be a “do this; don’t do that:” rule.
We all need rest. We all need a breather – even if we don’t think we do. Nothing robs the peace and joy from a Christian life more than constant busyness. That busyness may be veiled in “church work” or many other things, but it remains busyness nonetheless. Oh sure, we may complain about how busy we are – and we look to our vacation as “finally some peace” – but how often do we walk right back into the same world and it feels like we never left? In fact, we need a vacation from our vacation.
Jesus taught that He is the Lord of the Sabbath (Matthew 12:8). He and his disciples often “broke the rules” of the Sabbath—when they needed rest and nourishment, for example, or when Jesus took time to heal. Even after six days, the Creator of all things “rested” on the seventh day as an example for us all.
We, too, need rest from this world. We find that rest in Jesus Christ – who is the Sabbath rest that God has provided for us all.
Fundamental Questions to Grow in Your Faith
Each of us – even those who consider themselves devout disciples of Jesus – must occasionally re-evaluate where we are with our lives. Certainly, there are a few essential questions we can ask ourselves.
- Where are we spending our time? Are we spending enough time with the Lord to grow closer to Him?
- If we claim to not have enough time…what is getting our attention that we could give up?
- Are you friends with the world – or with Jesus? Do you long for what the world offers or what a relationship with Him offers?
- What sits on the thrones of your life? If you don’t know…ask the Lord to show you. Ask Him to remove anything but Himself from that throne. (Better be prepared…)
- What do you stand for? What are your convictions? If your faith is not first, then perhaps you need to re-evaluate.
- Where are you looking for peace and joy? In work, vacation, hobbies, or the Lord?
- Where do you spend more time—watching TV, playing video games, using social media, or praying and reading your Bible?
- What do you desire most—what the world offers or what Jesus offers? Which one do you give the most effort to?
If, at the end of this, you find that God is not the top priority of your life, then it may be time to find your way back. Are you unsure if you want to do so, but really desire to…well, desire to? Then ask Him to help you make Him the foremost priority in your life.
With thousands of people often crowding around Him, Jesus was never in a hurry. He was never too busy to heal or teach, to pull his disciples aside and simply be together, or to pray to the Father.
How long has it been since you gave yourself fully to God? Let him really have all of you?
In his Gospel, Luke tells us that “Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” (3:16). In fact, Jesus often spent regular time with God – praying and listening. Mark says, “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” (1:35)
So tell me, if the Son of God – the Creator of all things – the savior of all mankind – thought it meaningful and important enough to fit time into his schedule to pray to the Father, wouldn’t we be wise to do the same?
Photo Credit: ©Pexels/Katii Bishop
