Welcome to day one of 2018. 2017 flew by and now we are headed full-speed into 2018. This is a great time to prioritize our life, even though that task can be daunting. The Lord has taught me that I must chose to prioritize my life around Him; or He may chose to rearrange my priorities for me.
Priority #1: We need to choose a deeper love for Jesus.
His love us is unconditional. Romans 5.8- But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
It is the motivation for all we do. It makes everything else make sense. If you cannot place #1 where it belongs, the rest just doesn’t seem to fit properly. Jesus clarified this in Matthew 22.36-40. He made it clear it is the main thing and the 1st thing!
It is the central identifier that we are saved, as Jesus said in John 8.42- Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me:
This relationship is the most important. It demands to be the top priority and therefore come first. Jesus also alluded to this in a completely different style narrative. He challenged the ones following Him in Matthew 10.37-38 with- He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.
A love that is such a priority that we cast off this life looking forward to seeing Him again as Paul said in 2 Timothy 4.8- Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing. Without our love for Jesus being priority #1, we will slip back into the cares and affairs of this life. We will in modern English terms, fall out of love.
Our love for Jesus affects everything! As Paul said clearly in 2 Corinthians 5.14,15- For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge that if one died for all, then were all dead And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again. Constraineth is the Greek word soon-ekh’-o (to hold together, or arrest the attention of, to compel, to afflict, to completely preoccupy). Can you imagine what it would be like if a small group of 5 people were to be fully arrested by Christ through a passionately deep love? What could they do for Christ? What would that Church look like?
If it isn’t the top priority, something happens. A loss of deep love. Another Church had this problem called Ephesus, so we are told in Revelation 2.4- Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.
How could someone leave Jesus as a first love? It is a relationship therefore requires it to be a priority and regular focused attention. NO relationship lasts with passion without making it a priority. In this case, the top #1 priority. There is so many distractions in relationships, and in this one it is also attacked by an enemy without (Satan). The present world system ran by Satan— the god of this world, just as 1 John 2.12-17 states. He runs it with his cosmic principles of force, greed, selfishness, ambition, and pleasure. It is dominated by satanic principles that appeal to the flesh of man. But John 3.16 says– For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. These are people of the world, trapped in the system. If we are playing in the system with them, they have no reason to ask us of the hope we have in us. We also have no credibility to speak of. They do not see Jesus being a priority in our life. At least not the priority it should be.
Make Jesus your top priority in 2018. Chose a deeper love for Jesus each and every day. Make Him the priority and all the other things will work themselves out.
Remember: Chose to prioritize your life around God; or He may chose to rearrange your priorities for you.