How do you determine what is important?
Is it stuff?
Is it the perfect job?
Is it friends & family?
Is it your faith?
As a follower of Christ, I subscribe to the belief that my relationship with my Creator should be the most important thing in my life. At times I have let the world determine where my priorities should be and my life quickly went of track. Fortunately, the Holy Spirit is always near, waiting to take my hand and lovingly guide me back to the path He has chosen for me.
Only when this relationship is healthy do we really have the ability to love others well.
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 NIV
As Pastor Nathan says, “I’m about to go to meddlin’.”
If you are married, the relationship with your spouse should be your second highest priority.
NOT your children
NOT your job
NOT your church, ministry or job.
Did you catch that? Let me state it another way.
That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh. – Genesis 2:24 NIV
Being one-flesh means that we are forever linked and should love, honor & respect our partner.
Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord.For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior.Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for herto make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word,and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.“For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.”This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church.However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband. – Ephesians 5:21-28,31-33 NIV
Many people confuse “the church” with “God”. They are not the same thing. By this I mean that just because you’re a pastor or are involved in ministry does not mean that your relationship with your spouse should lessen in importance.
In order of importance:
GOD
SPOUSE
CHILDREN/FAMILY
EVERYTHING ELSE
My Life in Our Father's World 
First priority – LOVE GOD – very true. Beautifully written. Just popped by from FMF #18
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Heather
LikeLike
Good list. I agree with the first three. Someone outlined another set of priorities that put one’s health fourth, since you can’t minister very effectively if you’re sick. I don’t know if I agree with this one for everybody, but I needed a little nudge in that direction. I used to be so into “doing good” that I put my health last
– didn’t even think about it – until I was so burned out I was no good to anyone. 🤧😕 Balance is always such a challenge, but if we rededicate ourselves to the Lord each day – body, heart, and MIND – I believe He’ll give us wisdom, which He promised in James 1:5, and we’ll know when we’re stepping over the line and trying to do something He hasn’t called us to do, to possibly because we “think more highly of ourselves than we should.” (Romans 12:3) 🙄
LikeLiked by 2 people
I didn’t even think about adding health to the list. Thank you for bringing this to my attention.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Couldn’t have been said any better.
Going to church doesn’t mean a relationship exist.
The relationship is formed outside the four walls of the church.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you for your encouragment!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Always, Barb!
LikeLiked by 1 person
excellent reminder! FMF24
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Annette!
LikeLike
“I would, my dear, love thee less
loved I not honour more.”
To me this always was the best
way to keep the score
by which I measured out my days
kept vigil in my nights,
but it smacks now of self-praise
and living by my ego’s lights.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s vital
to live with honour in my heart,
but I’m not thus entitled
to set myself above, apart
from sinners rescued from the grave;
it’s also me He came to save.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Y E S!!
LikeLike
This is so true, Barb, “Only when this relationship [with God] is healthy do we really have the ability to love others well.”
LikeLiked by 1 person
😊💗
LikeLike
Barb, I so appreciated your words here. Truth be told. Spot on, you are at the heart of the matter. Thank you for sharing. Blessings.
FMF#33
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Paula
LikeLiked by 1 person
Love God and love people. That’s the simple truths I always come back to as well. If we prioritize that, we won’t go too far adrift.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Amen!
LikeLike
thanks for your reminder of where our priorities lie! when that relationship with God is firmly in place, everything else falls into place as well. He is good!
LikeLiked by 1 person