This Weeks Message

Introduction

I will always be thankful to God for the teaching I have received concerning putting some boundaries and priorities on my life. Most, I learned from wiser and experienced ministers and counselors that sought the Lord for many years and had also learned from life’s experiences. But there were times I had to go through some things in my own life to cause me to come to grips with God’s order of things and put forth a concerted effort to change the way I think and live. I’ve seen families destroyed, ministries destroyed and churches ruined all because priorities were messed up.  Now in many counseling sessions with couples as the subject of the priorities of life comes up I am glad to share the principles that I now live by. The same principles that will give order to their life and marriage and that will go a long way to putting it on long-term solid ground.  So the information I share below has come from years of study, counseling, listening, and life experience. I trust it will have meaning to you and bring order and balance to your family.
 

Setting Priorities and Priorities

First, there must be some priorities and boundaries in your life. They act as a guiding force in aiding you in making the right decisions as they relate to God, your spouse, your children, your job, your church and your everyday life. To sum it up let me give you a priority list for your life and then I will explain each one individually.  As you carry on your everyday life and making decisions about what you are to do,  keep the following in mind.
 

Life’s Top Five Priorities:

1. God
2. Spouse
3. Children
4. Job
5. Church

 
You see the list, let me reemphasize it! God must be first priority in your life, your Spouse second, your Children third, your Job fourth and your Church fifth. Every thing else and everyone else including your extended families and friends follow AFTER these first five!
 
It is easy to see that if you have these priorities mixed up you can be making wrong decisions and have a big negative impact on the other priorities. If you believe your church is of a higher priority than your spouse, get ready for a divorce!  If you think your church is more important than your job, you may be looking for work because you are not willing to commit to job. A lot of Christians get mixed up when they do not separate their love and commitment to God from their love and commitment to the church they may be attending.  These are two very different and distinct priorities. Hopefully God is in your church, however, your church is not God and God is not your church.  
 
So, let’s take a look at each of these priorities and put them in light of what the scripture says.

Read more: Life's Priorities