Priorities

Priorities

How Much of the Lord's Time Have You Stolen?
There was a story in a Rochester, Texas church bulletin about a young man who was working in a large department store, being told by his employer that he would be required to work on Sunday. It so happened that the hours assigned to him would have prevented his attending any of the worship services to which he had been accustomed to attending since childhood.
The young man informed his employer that he would not be able to continue his work under these conditions, and his employer told him he would have to go.
A few days later, the young man answered an ad in the paper from a bank which had advertised a vacancy for a teller. In checking the young man's previous employers, the bank president contacted the department store head and inquired as to the boy's record and whether he could recommend him. The store manager replied, "Why, yes, I will be glad to recommend him. He will make you a good man. I just fired him a few days ago."
"Fired him?" the bank president exclaimed. "Why would you recommend a man whom you just recently dismissed from your service?" The store manager explained the circumstances under which the boy was released, and remarked, "I know he will make you a good man for your bank, because if he will not steal the Lord's time, he will not steal your money."

Dearer Than Life
In the forests of Northern Europe lives the ermine, a small animal known best for its snow-white fur. Instinctively, this animal protects its glossy coat of fur with great care lest it become soiled.
Hunters often capitalize on this trait. Instead of setting a mechanical trap to catch the ermine, they find its home in a cleft of a rock or a hollow tree and daub the entrance and the interior with tar. Then their dogs start the chase, and the frightened ermine flees toward its home. But finding it covered with dirt, he spurns his place of safety. Rather than soil his white fur, he courageously faces the yelping dogs who hold him at bay until the hunters capture him. To the ermine, purity is dearer than life!
The Lord wants us to be a people who will keep ourselves "unspotted from the world."

Help! My Hair Is All Gone!
How do we get it all done? There are so many things to do. Housework, homework, away-from-home-work, schoolwork and church work all demand our attention. We have got to bring home the bacon, put it on the table, get the kids to the ballgame, get everything done around the house, spend time together as a family and find time for the Lord all on the same day. This probably does not even begin to describe your busy schedule. In a world full of things that need to be done, where do we go to get some sense of what to do first? How do we determine our priorities? Most of us just jump right in and overload ourselves. As a result we begin to get very nervous. We say to ourselves, "Well, I will just have to try harder. After all, other people seem to be able to manage all this, so I should be able to do it too." The tension which results from this overload seems to correspond directly with the amount of hair on our heads. The more we overload ourselves, the more we pull out our hair in frustration. Finally we realize that we just cannot do it all. With this realization comes two choices: We can go crazy trying to keep up with the unhealthy pace we have set and be grouchy, mean, unsatisfied, unfulfilled and unhappy. Or, we can prioritize our lives to decide which activities are the most important and thus be happier, more fulfilled and much more satisfied with the direction we have taken.
Jesus told His disciples to be "wise as serpents" (Matthew 10:16). How can we become wise? How do we go about the process of organizing and prioritizing our lives? Here are some suggestions that will help us get started.
Pray. This is the single most important thing that we do. We need guidance from the Lord, and He has promised to give it to us if we will only ask Him for it. We need to be as specific as we can, not for God's sake, but because it will help us to focus on exactly what we need to do and be asking for (James 1:5).
Seek wise counsel. Since we cannot know all that we need to know on every subject, we need to be searching for counsel from people we know who are wise.
Plan. Without an organized plan, even the noblest of ideas will fizzle out.
Prioritize. Once you have set your goals, decide which parts of your plan need your attention first. You may find that you need to streamline your objectives-maybe even cut something out (Matthew 6:33).
Acts Now that you have prayerfully and thoughtfully designed your plan, take action. Watch as some of your worries seem to disappear and your hair begins to grow back.

Follow Me-Now!
"And another also said, 'Lord, I will follow Thee; but let me first go bid them farewell which are at home at my house.'And Jesus said to him, 'No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God'" (Luke 9:61-62).
"I will follow You, Lord, but first let me see if my parents approve."
"I will follow You, Lord, but first let me go to a few more parties. And as soon as I get that out of my system, I will settle down."
"I will follow You, Lord, but first let me get married. As soon as I establish a home, I will follow you."
"We will follow You, Lord, but first let us raise our children. They are so small now, and it is difficult to carry them along while following You."
"We will follow You, Lord, but first let us get our children through high school. We have to work six days a week to pay the bills, and the children are so busy with school activities that there just is not time to follow You."
"I would like to follow You now, Lord, but I must first see if my husband will come, too. I do not want to follow You alone."
"I will follow You, Lord, but first let me retire. Then I will have time to follow you."
"I would like to follow You, Lord, but it is too late now. I have not done it all these years, and You cannot teach an old dog new tricks."
Death comes at last, and the day of salvation is over. One is separated from God eternally because one put off following Christ until it was too late.

Too High a Cost
Dale Carnegie tells of a visit to Yellowstone Park in earlier days when tourists could watch the rangers feed the grizzly bears. One night the ranger brought garbage to attract the huge creatures, which, it is said, can whip any animal in the West except perhaps the buffalo and the Kodiak bear. But Carnegie noticed that while eating, the bears would growl and send other little animals scurrying, but they would allow one little creature to eat with them-the skunk! Though it was obvious that the grizzlies resented the skunk for its brazen impudence and would have loved to have their revenge, they didn't. And you can guess why. The cost of getting even was just too high!

Choice Between Sight or Memory
A man's sight left him. He sought the counsel of a trusted medical friend who prescribed a medicine for him. The man took the medicine regularly for four days, and his sight returned to him, but he could no longer remember anything. His friend suggested a remedy for that, too. After a few days his memory came back to him, but he went blind again. This continued for sometime. Eventually his friend said, "It looks like you have to decide which you want-your sight or your memory." The man thought for a moment and then said, "I believe I would prefer my sight. I would rather see where I am going than remember where I have been!" Where are you going?

Sir Walter Scott's Diary
The last words found in Sir Walter Scott's diary were: "Tomorrow we shall...." But there was no tomorrow for him. He died with good intentions to accomplish a certain goal-a goal that was neither stated in his diary nor accomplished by him.
Every person has goals and dreams that he or she longs for, plans for, and even begins to reach for-yet there are many people who fall short of their goals simply because of limited time or opportunity. And that is why it is always important to get busy and do the right thing immediately. Never delay that which needs to be done today.
Settling accounts with the Lord should never be put on a back burner, neither for salvation, for commitment, nor for service.

Living in Constant Crises
Have you ever thought about an ambulance? An ambulance tears around town with its siren blaring. It is always going to a crisis or leaving a crisis. It is built for emergencies.
Many people live the same way. They run their lives with a siren going. Every day is desperate, and every moment is a crisis, or preparation for one. Such as harried existence leaves no room for smelling roses or enjoying sunsets. Even worse, it leaves no time for sharing friendships and building love.
Finally, what if some of the things you are tearing around to do did not get done? Suppose you substituted a quiet walk around the block or time off to call on a friend or time out to read a book? Suppose you wrote an encouraging note to someone who really needed it? Would your world fall apart? Or would it perhaps get back into perspective? So "Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well" (Matthew 6:33).

Too Busy
Too busy to read the Bible, too busy to wait and pray
Too busy to speak out kindly to someone by the way!
To busy to care and struggle, to think of the life to come
Too busy building mansions, to plan for the heavenly home.
Too busy to help a brother who faces the winter blast.
Too busy to share his burden, when self in the balance is cast.
Too busy for all that is holy on earth beneath the sky;
Too busy to serve the Master, but not too busy to die.

Take Time
Take time to think-it is the source of power.
Take time to play-it is the secret of perpetual youth.
Take time to be friendly-it is the road to happiness.
Take time to love-it is a God-given privilege.
Take time to pray-it is the greatest power on earth.
Take time to give-life is too short to be selfish.

Feed Poor Boys, Sir!
"I am the bread of life" John 6:35.
Terry Bell relates a memorable experience:
The year was 1969. It was my first "real" mission trip. I was in a little village in South India and terribly homesick. I was 20 years old and starving for a "good ole" American cheeseburger. I had not had one in 2 1/2 months.
The land around me was semi-jungle, semi-bush. Tarzan would have felt right at home, but I did not.
One boring afternoon I whiled away the hours by playing with the monkeys that forever enlivened our premises. Standing out on the balcony, I teased the little primate creeps by giving them doughballs made from a loaf of bread I was holding. A hairy hand (or is it a paw?) would reach over the edge of the roof, I would place a morsel in it, and like lightning, it was retracted to the squealing and grunting delight of his monkey-minded buddies. What a great game!
Suddenly I realized that on the street below my balcony a crowd had gathered. They were not nearly as entertained by this "monkeying around" as I was. One thin-faced, sickly looking boy looked up at me with bulging eyes. In broken English, he said, "Master, feed poor boys, not monkeys."
It was like a stab in the heart. In the street below were orphans, beggars, lepers...the off-scourings of humankind. Mothers and fathers who had starving children. Children who watched malnourished parents die. Parents who would watch their hungry children watching them die, knowing they left them to a miserable life on the streets. And there I was, playing games with the bread that for them was so precious. I was cut to the heart.
Every day this scene is reenacted in thousands of padded-pew churches, whose priorities are playing games with monkeys. A Christian First
The mother watched as her four-year-old daughter played while taking her bath. The little girl sang songs that she had heard and the mother was fascinated by her ability to remember the words and the tunes of the songs. As she watched and listened to her daughter she began to think to herself, "I wonder what she will be when she grows up?" And as most of us as proud parents would do, she began to think about all the things that she could be. "She could be a singer, an actress, a teacher...." After thinking about all the marvelous things her daughter might grow up to be she decided to ask her daughter what she wanted to be when she grew up. The little girl's response was, "A Christian first." The young mother said she was deeply humbled by the child's response. While she had been thinking in terms of a career, the little girl pointed out that first she wanted to be a Christian.

Charles Finney's Talk
Some years ago, a young graduate reported to a law office for training or apprenticeship. The senior lawyer who hired him quickly indoctrinated him in the office routine. Then the young lawyer sat at his desk and carried on this conversation with himself.
"What are you going to do when you finish your apprenticeship?"
"Hang out my shingle and practice law, of course!"
"What then?"
"Why, make a lot of money!"
"What then?"
"When I get rich I shall retire."
"What then?"
"Well, I will die."
"What then?"
His whole body trembling, Charles G. Finney rushed out of the office and ran to a park some few hundred yards distant. He remained there in prayer, vowing that he would not return to his office or to his room until he had settled his life's work. He saw himself as he was-selfish, ambitious, sinful. And he gave himself to the Lord for Him to use. Leaving the park, Finney stepped forth, in faith in God, to a life of usefulness rarely paralleled in the last two centuries.

What You Can and Cannot Control
You cannot control the length of you life-but you can control its width and depth.
You cannot control the contour of your face-but you can control its expression.
You cannot control the weather -but you can control the atmosphere of your mind.
Why worry about things you cannot control when you can keep yourself busy controlling the things that depend on you?

Christian, Think Before You Drink
Dr. Clarence McCartney told the following story:
A young man met with the church board and was received into membership; however, on his way out, he was asked what his business was. When the board understood that he was in the liquor business, the decision of the board was revoked, causing the young man to fly into a rage. The liquor business was that of his father and his grandfather as well. He wished hereafter to have nothing to do with any pastor or church. He had been "insulted."
Two months elapsed. The young man reappeared again with this explanation: "I followed your suggestion to visit the clients of my business. I followed our wagon to saloons, the rich man's clubs, the poor man's hovels, to destitute homes, and I saw the destruction that the liquor business I was engaged in caused. As a result, I have severed connections with my destructive business. I have confessed my sin to God, and I now desire to be received into membership in the church."

Palace on Earth-Shack in Heaven
A very rich lady dreamed she died and was taken to heaven. She was given an angel to escort her to her new home. She dreamed the angel took her past many exquisite mansions.
Passing one of the most elegant, the angel said, "And this is the mansion of your servant who died last year." Since this was a fine home, the lady became really excited about the anticipated size of her new home. Soon they rounded a turn and came upon a small shack.
"Here is your new home," the angel said.
"Is this all?" she said. "I was of a very wealthy family on earth," she said.
"Well," the angel explained, "this is all you sent up."
She awoke abruptly and resolved to make a drastic change in the priorities of her life.

How Much Time For God?
Said the preacher to the inactive member, "I am sorry to see that you have quit the church." Said the inactive member, indignantly, "But, I have not quit." The minister replied, "you do not attend worship or study. You do not give of your money. And you do not participate in fellowship or work. You do not offer to be of assistance in helping others. What is it you would do, if you quit, that you have not already done? The Years of Our Lives
Someone has figured that in the average life span of 70 years, we will spend our time this way:
Eight years in amusements
Six years at the dinner table
Five years in transportation
Four years in conversation
Three years sick or convalescing
Less than one year for God-that is if a person attends a 90-minute service every Sunday and prays every day for 10 minutes. The Law of Small Potatoes
Many years ago, Chinese farmers theorized that they could eat their big potatoes and keep the small potatoes for seed. Consequently, they ate the big potatoes and planted the small potatoes. As a result of this practice for many years, the Chinese farmers made the startling discovery: nature had reduced all their potatoes to the size of marbles.
A new understanding of the law of life came to these farmers. They learned through bitter experience that they could not have the best things of life for themselves and use the leftovers for seed. The law of life decreed that the harvest would reflect the planting.
In another sense, planting small potatoes is still a common practice. We take the big things of life for ourselves and plant the leftovers. We expect that by some crazy twist of spiritual laws, our selfishness will be rewarded with unselfishness. But we cannot eat the big potatoes and have them, too!
What size potatoes have you been planting spiritually? "Be not deceived; God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that shall he also reap" (Galatians 6:7). The Story of a Fool
One day there was a little task
God wanted me to do.
I said, "Lord, You'll have to wait,
I've got no time for You.
I have this little child to raise
And prices are so high;
Besides we've found a house and lot
We thought we'd like to buy."
So I took on some extra work,
No church-I was too tired.
But I got up on Monday morning,
I had to-or get fired!
And so I went along for years
With never a thought of God;
Until one day my little child
Was laid beneath the sod.
The lovely home we'd bought for her
Seemed empty now-so bare.
In anguish then I turned to God
And cried, "It isn't fair.
That you should take my little one
And cause my wife these tears;
When we have been so happy here
These few, short, busy years."
'Twas then I heard the voice of God
Come ringing in my ear-
"I called upon you once but then
My cry you would not hear.
Now in your grief you cry for Me,
'Why must this sad thing be?'
Your little child became your god,
She took the place of Me."
Oh my dear friend, find time for God
In everything you do
If not, you'll find that one day He
Shall have no time for you!

Choice Made the Difference
Dr. Pierce Harris, a former pastor of the First Methodist Church of Atlanta, Georgia, preached to some prisoners. One of the prisoners got up and introduced him to the others with these words: "Several years ago, two boys lived in a town in north Georgia. They went to the same school, played together and attended the same Sunday school. One dropped out of Sunday school and said that it was 'sissy stuff.' The other boy kept on going. One rejected Christ; the other accepted Him. The boy who rejected Christ is making this introduction today. The boy who accepted Christ is the honored preacher who will speak to us today!" Choice made the difference.

Christian Grammar
The Bishop of Cambridge once taught a class. He said, "We have all learned to say in school: 'First Person-I; Second Person-You; Third Person-He.' But that is wrong in Christian grammar, so wrong that, to put it right, one has to turn it upside down. The Christian grammar is: 'First Person-He; Second Person-You; Third Person-I,' and 'He' means God, the First Person in the first place. Then 'You' means one's fellowman, and 'I' myself comes last."

Remove the Cup
Leonardo da Vinci once took a friend of his to see his masterpiece of the "Last Supper." The friend's first comment was, "The most striking thing in the picture is the cup." The artist immediately took his brush and wiped out the cup, saying, "Nothing in my painting shall attract more attention than the face of my Master."

Love of Money
A father was in the basement of his daughter's house trying to fix something for her when the blow torch exploded and he was badly burned. As if that was not enough, the daughter is suing her father for damages to get all the money that she can out of him. This is a perfect illustration of what happens when you put money, material things, first in your life.

Seeking God
A prominent American who was visiting Argentina was asked by the president of the republic, "Why has South America gotten on so poorly and North America so well? What do you think is the reason?" The visitor replied, "I think the reason is the fact that the Spaniards came to South America seeking gold, while the Pilgrim Fathers came to North America seeking God."

Tigers or Souls
Two men returning from India got into conversation. One was a sportsman and the other a missionary. "I've been in India for twenty-five years, and I never saw one of the natives converted as you Christians claim," said the sportsman. "That's queer," said the missionary. "Did you ever see a tiger?" "Hundreds of them," was the reply, "and I've shot dozens of them." "Well, I've been in India for many years," said the missionary, "but I've never seen a tiger. But under the power of the gospel of Christ I've seen hundreds of the natives of India turn to the Savior." You see, one was looking for tigers, the other was looking for souls.

Worldly Standard
The story is told of a Persian prince who, dressed as a poor man, went to a feast. He was pushed about, could not get to the table, and soon had to withdraw. He went home, dressed himself in his best cloth-of-gold robe and jewelled slippers, and returned to the feast. The guests made room for him, and the host rushing up cried, "Welcome, my lord! What will your lordship please to eat?" The prince stuck out his jewelled foot and said in a mocking tone, "Welcome, my lord slipper!" Then fingering his golden robe, "Welcome, my lord robe! What will your lordship please to eat?" Turning to his surprised host he said, "You ought to ask my lordly clothes what they would like to eat since the welcome was solely to them."

Man, You're a Fool
A student of ancient Greek in an English university surprised his teacher by his rapid grasp of the subject. When asked if someone were helping him, he mentioned his uncle. The professor said he'd like to meet him, and a date was set. The teacher was astounded with the uncle's knowledge of Greek. "What work do you do?" he asked. "I'm an itinerant preacher. I preach God's Word." Dismayed that such a gifted man should waste his time preaching, the professor blurted out, "Man, you're a fool!" The wise preacher retorted, "In which world, Professor?"

Man's Greatest Possession
Man's greatest possession is an unhindered relationship with God. I think of two friends who were passing a large tract of land that belonged to one of them. "What do you think this land and the buildings cost me?" asked the landowner. "I don't know what they cost you in money," replied his friend, "but I think I know what they cost you otherwise." "What?" "They cost you your soul," was the sorrowful reply.

Ready to Endure
Misjudged by a fellow missionary, David Livingstone gave up his house and garden at Mabotsa, with all the toil and money they had cost him, rather than have any scandal before the heathen. He began in a new place the laborious building of a house and school, and gathered the people around him. His colleague was so struck with his generosity that he said if he had known his intention, he never would have spoken a word against him. Parting with his garden cost Livingstone a great pang. "I like a garden," he wrote, "but Paradise will make amends for all our privations here." Paul says, "I endure all things for the elect's sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus" (2 Timothy 2:10).

Right Priorities
The time to begin to do the things that are important in your life is the very moment you become a believer in Jesus Christ. Your first thought should be, "This life on earth is not forever; therefore the things that count for eternity will have priority in my life." Don't be like someone who greatly distinguished himself in worldly achievements. In his last moments, he exclaimed, "I have provided in the course of my life for everything except death; and now, alas! I am to die, although entirely unprepared." How or when one dies is not important. The important thing is to prepare for the unavoidable happening while you are alive.

Safe on the Lord's Side
President Lincoln was once told by an associate, "I am very anxious that the Lord should be on our side." "Oh," said Mr. Lincoln, "that does not give me the least trouble in the world, sir. The only question is whether we are on the Lord's side. If we are on the Lord's side, we are perfectly safe."

Look for Lasting Qualities
A husband volunteered to accompany his wife on a shopping expedition to purchase dress goods for herself and the children. "This is pretty material," said the husband, indicating a colorful print. The wife fingered it briefly and said, "Too flimsy. It won't wear well." "Then how about this?" persisted the man, pointing to another bolt of cloth. "Strong enough," said the wife, "but will it wash?" The husband in his inexperience was allowing himself to be influenced by eye appeal. The wife was looking for more lasting qualities.

Satisfied with Second Best
Robert Browning tells of a famous musician who, under financial pressure and the influence of popular demand, lowered his standards and produced some inferior works that brought in ready cash and a measure of success. One evening as he stood on the platform enjoying the applause of the audience, he happened to glance at a private box and see the master, Rossini. His eyes fell and his color rose. The mob applauded, but he knew that the master condemned the cheap and unworthy work.

Wrong Choices Are Destructive
You may have read about the war of Troy, but do you know how it was supposed to have started? It was the judgment and choice of Paris that were responsible for it. Beautiful Thetis was getting married to Pileas, the King of the Myrmidons. During their wedding ceremony, says the legend, the golden apple of dispute was given to the most beautiful woman. There were three that sought the prize: Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite. According to the command of Zeus, Paris, the shepherd of Troy, had to choose which of these three was the most beautiful. Hera represented power, Athena wisdom, and Aphrodite pleasure. Paris chose Aphrodite, the goddess of pleasure, and because of this the war of Troy was declared with all its resultant suffering and unhappiness. Because Paris chose pleasure, he brought destruction upon himself and others. This is what many of us choose also, and we suffer alienation from God.

Lunch or Appetite?
A poor man had his meager lunch stolen by one of his fellow workers. Hungry after the lunch hour, he sang and praised the Lord, and the workers made fun of him. They said, "My goodness, your very lunch has been stolen from you and you're praising God. What for? You're stupid!" "Oh, no," he said, "I'm not stupid. They may have stolen my lunch, but they couldn't steal my appetite from me." The Christian's Choice
There's much truth in saying that every man is the architect of his own fate. Your choices affect your destiny. Out of a rough block of stone one man may make a beautiful statue, another, gravel. Both products are good and useful under certain conditions. But a statue can be immoral in conception, and gravel can be the grudging and punitive work of a criminal condemned to a rockpile. The point is, whether you are a gifted artist or a competent gravel maker, you can choose whether to use your abilities worthily or unworthily. In building a Christian life you have the same choice.

Just an Expensive Casket
A young man asked his minister to officiate at his brother's funeral. "Let me see," said the minister. "Your brother was thirty-two years old?" "Yes." "He worked hard for twenty years, didn't he?" "Yes." "Well, what did he get out of it?" "He left eighty acres of fine land, money in the bank, and thousands of dollars in insurance." "Yes, that's what you get out of it; but what did he get out of it?" "Oh, we are going to buy him an expensive oak casket!"

Take Alarm
Thomas Guthrie used to say: "If you find yourself loving any pleasure better than your prayers, any book better than the Bible, any house better than the house of God, any table better than the Lord's table, any person better than Christ, any indulgence better than the hope of heaven-take alarm."

Feed the Hungry
"Why do you insist upon having the largest piece of pie, Harry?" asked a mother reprovingly. "Isn't your big brother entitled to it?" "No, Mama, not the way it looks to me," replied Harry. "He was eating pie three years before I was born." Preacher, feed the new Christians who are hungry for the Word, a double portion of it.