Thursday, April 7, 2011

God first? Or me first?

Priority_list_med
This week we had an awesome speaker at CPx.  His name was Lincoln Murdoch. Here is one of the things that he shared that really hit home for me:

 

All my life and training I have heard it said that God must always be first on our list of priorities.  I have been taught that a good and godly list of priorities must look something like this:

  1. God
  2. Wife
  3. Kids
  4. Ministry
  5. Friends
  6. Extended Family
  7. Education
  8. Etc...

 

Lincoln does not agree with this.  After having a major burnout twice in his life, he has learned that the list, rather, must look more like this:

  1. ME!! (with God leading me to the fullness of all He has for a healthy me)
  2. Wife (with God at the center of our marriage)
  3. Kids (God guiding and inspiring my parenting)
  4. Etc....

 

The point is this...

First, God is #1.  God is #2.  God is #3.  He is the center of all my life.  He is not a number on my list.  No, he IS THE LIST!  

And second, if I am not at the top of the list...if I am not healthy...if I am not renewed and intimate with Jesus, then I am no good to my wife, no good to my kids and no good to anyone else on my list for that matter.  

 

I thought this was a fresh perspective.  What do you think?

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1 comment:

  1. Generous ApologistApril 7, 2011 at 2:58 PM

    Jesus taught (by example) that self-ministry proceeds others-ministry. Every day He spent time in pray with the Father being ministered to before He ever lifted a finger for others. John Ortberg called this the rhythm of abiding and abounding - abiding in God's presence and abounding in ministry. If it's good enough for Jesus, it's good enough for us. bo)

    ybic
    Kevin

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