I recently decided I wanted to purchase something that is
rather expensive. It certainly isn’t something that I need, but all of my
friends have one now, so of course I want one too. I, being the smart husband
that I am, asked my wife if I could spend the money. She said no. I was
shocked. All of my friend’s wives just let their husbands buy it, and I had to
make a deal with my wife in order to get it. The deal we came up with was I had
to work a second job on Saturdays until I raise enough money. When I agreed to
this deal, I remember how shocked my wife was that it was such a priority to me
that I was willing to work Saturdays for it. As I watched how shocked she was,
I secretly hoped that she would sympathize with me, and just let me get it
because she knew how bad I wanted it. It didn’t work that way.
Either way, this item was such a priority to me that I was
willing to give up my only spare time to get it. That got me thinking about
priorities. You see, it’s easy to see people’s priorities in life, because if
it’s truly a priority that’s what a person will spend a majority of their time
and energy on. It’s pretty obvious if you just take a second to look at their life.
What are your priorities? If you are not a Christian, your
priorities are probably making money, having fun, family, friends, and all
sorts of other things in this world, and these things make sense. I’m not
putting them down by any means, because if you’re not a follower a Christ these
things are all you have. If you are, however, claiming to be a follower of
Christ, and these are your main priorities, then we have a problem.
I recently was going through Romans chapter 12 with my
Indian Lake youth group and it starts out with a verse that is very clear about
where your priories should be. The first verse is probably the hardest verse in
the Bible to sell to your average Christian today, and yet it should be
automatic… It should go without saying. Verse 1 is Therefore, I urge you
brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices,
holy and pleasing to God- this is your spiritual act of worship.
At first, when I felt God calling me to go through Romans 12
I was a little worried. How was I going to sell this verse? How was I going to
convince a bunch of kids, who’s only priority, is getting a new cell phone,
that they should offer themselves to God as living sacrifices? This was going
to be no easy task, but then I looked at the beginning of the verse. In view
of God’s mercy. I then realized, this is how I will sell it. I would go on
to make them really take a good hard look at God’s mercy. We went through step
by step the end of Jesus’ life. I talked about, and I attempted to really make
it real to them that Jesus came to earth and didn’t have to. Lived a life full
of love and grace, and didn’t have to, then was betrayed by one of his
followers and was taken to be beaten, mocked, spit on, screamed at, had his
friends deny they even know him, was crucified, and to top it all off, before
he died, he asks God to forgive those CRUCIFYING HIM and HE DIDN’T HAVE TO! He
could have gotten out of all of that at any point, but he didn’t. He died for
us, and then he defeated death for us in the resurrection.
I don’t know about you, but when I take a look at what Jesus
did for me it makes offering my body as a living sacrifice look like an
opportunity. An opportunity, to live for a God that was willing to do all of
that for me.
So, where are your priorities? Take a good honest look, and
I’d be willing to bet that they are not where they should be. If you’re starting to think to yourself, “but
I don’t want to change,” then you simply need to take another look at God’s
mercy. If it’s real to you, it will change your priorities.
