Priorities part 1
What you feed is what will grow. What you magnify in your life is what will manifest in your life. In other words, priorites are important. What you give your three t's (Time, Talent, Treasure) to is what, in a very real way, defines your life. That, to me, is why so many people are so miserable. We prioritize things that really don't matter. We get all twisted around and start to think things that are not important, are important. We give things power over us that really have no power at all except what we give them. Look at Colossians 3:14, "And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness." Love ought to be not only our number one priority, but our only priority! And I like the idea of "putting it on." Because we choose the clothes we wear as an extension of our personality, right? It's more than just what we have. It's who we are. Charity--love in action--is not just what we have. It is who we are. And it is the bond of perfectness. If you want relationships... you gotta have love. You gotta GIVE love. And you gotta make love your priority. Which means you've got to make people your priority. I believe the two most important things in the world are God and people. Love God and love people. Love God BY loving people. That's the whole point of the whole deal. And, yes, I Ranted recently about preaching the gospel to all of creation. Taking care of the gift we've been given. Ruling and reigning as kings and priests on this earth. Which, again, simply speaks to our priorities. Leaving things better than when we found them. Or at the very least not worse. And love is how we improve it. When you see litter, and you pick it up and throw it away, that's a labor of love. When someone needs to vent and you give them an ear... that's a labor of love. That's putting your priorities in order. That's focusing on what really matter. Filling yourself to overflowing with the love of God that you have already been given and giving it back to Him by giving it to the people (places, and things) in your life. Breathing it in and breathing it out. Receiving and releasing God's love. That's what we were created to do. Man cannot live by bread alone. He needs love. Rich people commit suicide because even though they have worldly goods, they oftentimes are missing that thing that is so crucial--love. Relationship. The bond of perfectness. It is not good that man should be alone. We need each other. And the only way we can "have" each other is by giving what we've got TO each other. Love is never about getting. Because love is giving. Giving everything you have and everything you are. That's how you experience everything you have and everything you are. It's not about getting. It's not about hoarding. It's about giving. Experiencing what you've got by sharing it. By giving it away. If getting is your priority, then you've missed the point. You have what you need. Stop running around like a chicken with your head cut off trying to get stuff you DON'T really need. Be content with what you have. Share what you have. And in that way experience what you have. Prioritize people. Prioritize making things better wherever you are. Prioritize love!