Priorities

Oh, for the simpler days! Wouldn’t you like, just for a while, to go back to the days of youth when you had little in the way of responsibility? There were no bills to worry about, no laundry that had to be done, no malfunctioning automobile, no boss hounding you about deadlines. Nothing other than the pleasantries of youth to amuse you. Probably the most pressing issues of those days were getting to school on time and passing all your classes.

We live in a world where technology and innovation are designed to simplify our lives, yet I find that my life is far from simplified. My job as a pharmacist is demanding, there are bills to pay, laundry and housework to be done, writing and speaking deadlines to meet, my family and many other important things vie for my time and attention. I fear that I don’t always prioritize my time like I should. Can you relate?

Jesus had many things contending for His time and attention, yet He seemed never to get flustered and ill-tempered the way I do. Why do you think this was?

Matthew 4:23-25 says the following about Jesus’ schedule.

“Jesus went through Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed, and he healed them. Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and the region across the Jordan followed him.”

Picture this scene in your mind. Huge crowds surround Jesus. Crowds full of people who are in severe pain, demon possessed, having seizures, and the paralyzed. The noise and intensity of the crowd must have been unbelievable. So much sickness and disease. So much pain and agony. So much work for one man to accomplish. Try to picture it if you can.

We find the same type scene in Mark 1 where Jesus had just healed Peter’s mother-in-law. The sun had no sooner set on Peter’s house than huge crowds surrounded the home wanting their loved ones healed and released from demons. Verse 33 says “the whole town gathered at the door”. Once again we find Jesus in the midst of much pain and disease with each person having a need that He alone can meet.

Are you beginning to see how easily one could become overwhelmed at the immense needs of the people? Can you imagine how helpless one would feel looking at the endless sea of suffering confronting you? There is no way that one person could handle all that needed to be done.

Let’s look at 2 more verses to find the secret to Jesus’ ability to prioritize what needed to be done. The first secret is found in Mark 1:38 where Jesus tells His disciples the following:

“Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. This is why I have come.”

Jesus never forgot the reason for His ministry. Yes, healing was important. So was releasing people from demon possession. But neither was the real reason Jesus came to earth. The solitary reason for Jesus’ presence on earth was to bring the good news of salvation to the world. What good did it do to heal a person of a physical disease if they never discovered eternal life through Christ? Jesus was a master at remembering the priority of His ministry.

The second secret to Jesus’ ability to prioritize is equally important. Mark 1: 35 says,

“Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.”

Not only did Jesus remember the priority of His ministry, but He also remembered Who set the course of His ministry. Jesus spent time with His Father in prayer. He got alone and quiet and simply relished the company of His Father. They talked just as you and I might talk with a close confidant. Jesus drew strength and guidance from the Father.

As we go through each day, you and I must first spend time with the One who gives us our marching orders, the One who holds the course of our lives in His hand. In spending that time each day with God we will learn what His priorities are for our lives. When we operate according to the priorities of God rather than doing whatever is pulling at us the hardest or yelling at us the loudest, we will be able to accomplish so much more. God is willing and eager to let us in on what He considers to be the most important tasks in our lives, but we must ask Him and then be willing to be obedient to what He tells us.