Priorities

2012 limped out like a car-hit-dog that met his match on a country road dusted down by a 1968 Gran Torino. Can you picture that? What a painful year! The American dream is being drowned in taxes unleashed by record high national debt, our babies are being gunned down in elementary schools and our ambassadors can’t even reside in foreign countries without meeting with death’s door. It almost seems like the world has lost its mind. And in historical like fashion, deaths mount in the name of religion when the only religion that can be seen is religious persecution.

According to the Bible, mankind started in a meek and calm setting. This was the true “genesis” of us humans. Let’s summarize the scene. God made man to have a relationship with Him. God had man name and care for the rest of creation. God gave man woman to help him care for things and be his companion. Stop. At this point, all is bliss. Mankind has his priorities. All is well. And then came sin with humanity’s desires and “free will.” That’s when the mess started. Ultimately, Christ Jesus, God in the flesh, came to earth and made His proclamation. He told us how to set the stage for a mirrored Eden.

“Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” --- Matthew 6:33  (New Living Translation)

So here we are today. 2013. We’re beaten down, broken, worried, stressed and just plain whipped. The world is in chaos. So what do we do? How do we react? We can bring the macro down to a micro level. We can start with the basics. We can get our priorities in order. Here’s the Lord’s formula:

Step 1 – Seek God. Seek after everything that He stands for. Seek Him in His Word.

Step 2 – Live Right. We need to take care of ourselves, our families and our neighbors.

Step 3 – Trust God when He says that He will then provide all that we need.

 

As Christians, we should pursue God. Our primary mission every day should be to find Him in every facet of our day. Seek Him and His direction. Speak to Him about our concerns and our problems. Praise Him for His mercy, His grace and His blessings. Try it. Live the life of the garden for a week and see how it makes you feel. You might be surprised. And 2013 may shape up to be the most peaceful year for YOU!