So where are your priorities? Are
you living simply to pad your bank account? What is the most important thing to
you? Paul Tillich, a twentieth-century American theologian, says that whatever
our highest priority is functions as a god for us. He calls it our
"ultimate concern".
Whatever is our ultimate concern,
that is our top priority. That is what functions like a god, whether we
outwardly worship it or not. No matter what we say is most important, it is the
thing that concerns us most which functions as a god for us. So what is your
ultimate concern? Is it your family? Your church? Your job? Your wallet or
pocketbook? What is your ultimate concern? Do you know?
How can you tell where your priorities lie? How can you determine what your
ultimate concern is? Jesus gave us a clue when he said, "Where your
treasure is, there your heart will be also." Stores and manufacturers
understand it when they take inventory on a regular basis. Taking a personal
inventory of time, talent, and treasure may help us to see what those things of
ultimate concern are for us.
How many minutes are there in a year?
My daughter sings a song from the Broadway show Rent which tells that a year includes five hundred twenty five thousand six hudred minutes. That is the time you get to spend in a a year. Time is the great equalizer. You have the same amount of time in any given year that Bill Gates or Warren Buffett or the Koch Brothers have. You cannot buy time. It is given to you by God. How do you use this precious gift? How have
you spent that 525,600 minutes since last Labor Day? What have you spent your
time on? Have you consciously evaluated your priorities and taken steps to
change things you don’t like? Have you sought the kingdom of God in the time
since last Labor Day? How do you measure that year?
Try this exercise at home sometime. Make a chart of your week. Mark off the time you sleep and time you work at your job. Now take an inventory of the
other sixty some hours in your week. How many of those do you spend watching TV
shows you could really care less about? How many of those hours do you spend on
a hobby - maybe bowling or racing or cycling or camping or movies or whatever?
How many of those hours do you spend in quality time with your spouse, parents,
or children - not just existing in the same room with them, but engaging in
conversation or interaction with them?
Then just for a shocker, add up all the hours you spend either in worship,
Bible study, prayer, service, or personal devotion. Compare those numbers to
see what your expenditure of time says about your priorities. What does the way
you spend your time say about you?
Or try this exercise sometime. Look at the entries in your checkbook or
computer budget program. Factor out bills like utilities, and compare how much
money you spend on certain categories each week. How much money do you spend
eating out or getting coffee from 7-11 or snacks from vending machines? How
much money do you spend on hobbies - like racing, cable TV, cycling, camping,
bowling, or movies? And then look at how much you give as an offering to God.
What does the way you spend your money say about you?
Before you start jumping to conclusions here, I have nothing against any of the
hobbies I’ve named. I have no problem with people having outside interests
besides church and family. It’s healthy to be involved in enjoyable things. But
when those things direct your life, it’s time for a change in priorities. When
you are spending more time, energy, and money on those hobbies than anything
else, they have become your ultimate concern. Strive first for the kingdom of
God and his righteousness, and all the things that really matter will be added
to you.
Jesus
tells us to seek the kingdom of God first, and all the important things will be
added to your life. He says if we place the kingdom of God and his
righteousness as our top priority, we will receive an abundance of things that
really matter. Don’t be afraid of what could happen. Give yourself to God
completely. This is the message of
Jesus.
On this Labor Day weekend, take some time to look at how you spend your time,
money, and energy. What are your priorities? What is your ultimate concern?
Where is your treasure, and your heart? What is your use of time, money, and
energy saying about what’s important to you? Are you seeking the kingdom of
God?
So take some time to examine your priorities; to think about
making adjustments if you’re not satisfied with the way things are now. For a
Christian, every day should be able to be a day of Thanksgiving, a celebration
of the gifts God gives us, like our ability to work and provide for our
families, which we celebrate on Labor Day.
And this is a message for all of us from the Lord -- seek ye first the
kingdom of God and all these things will be added to you.
