Priorities part 5
Faith. Hope. Love. Peace. Forgiviness. Grace. Mercy. Did I mention love? Those should be our priorities. But... well... watch this: "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone" (Matthew 23:23). Priorities. What's important. I like it even better in the Message Bible, "You're hopeless, you religion scholars and Pharisees! Frauds! You keep meticulous account books, tithing on every nickel and dime you get, but on the meat of God's Law, things like fairness and compassion and commitment--the absolute basics!--you carelessly take it or leave it. Careful bookkeeping is commendable, but the basics are required." Its like this, money is necessary... but not necessarily important. Certainly there are more important things. So, if we're working for a living, why do we kill ourselves working? Like my mom always says, if you work your fingers to the bone, all you get is bony fingers. And I'm not saying you shouldn't work for a living. I'm just saying you need balance. You can't neglect the stuff that actually IS important. God and people. Loving God and loving people. Loving God BY loving people. Letting God love us and filling ourselves to overflowing with that love so that it comes out. Naturally. Love has to be the number one priority. Because to live is to love and to love is to live. You can't live without loving people. And Jesus came that we might have life, and that more abundantly. He came that we might know love... and be able to love WITH that love. He gave His life for us on the cross, to free us from death. But He also gave His life TO us on the cross. So that we could have it. So that we could live. Not by trying to live Jesus' life. Nobody can live Jesus' life except Jesus. But so that we could EXPERIENCE His life as HE lives it in us, and through us, and as us. And we let Him live His life in us, and through us, and as us, by having our priorities straight. By knowing and believing that His love is in there. Because what's you believe is inside WILL come out. It has to. Whatever it is, its too big to keep inside. So don't get distracted by stuff that doesn't really matter. And don't get stuck in a bad situation. Inner peace is so vitally important because it produces outer peace. Blessed are the peacemakers, right? When you have peace inside it flows out and brings peace to any situation you find yourself in. Love brings peace to any situation. Maybe not immediately, and maybe not in the way you think it should. But that's the thing about love--He doesn't demand His own way. He lets things be what they are, and loves anyway. Lets PEOPLE be who they are, and loves them anyway. Don't let religion be your priority. Make people your priority. And I'm not talking about controlling people. I'm talking about loving people. If the Holy Spirit can't set them straight, you probably don't have much chance. So stop trying. People are who they are. And the only reason someone would ever REALLY change is if they saw a more excellent way. So do what you've gotta do. Take care of business. But not at the expense of the really important things in life. God and people. Love...