The Power of Priority
by Pastor Jeffrey Smith
If we are honest, it can be difficult to see other marriages and families who appear to have it all together. Comparison is a natural human inclination, but no marriage or family is perfect. Just look at the Bible for instance. It is filled with dysfunctional people with crazy family members. Let’s look at the first family-Adam and Eve. This family is personally responsible for the curse of the entire human race. Soon after they built a family, one of their sons murders his brother out of jealousy and anger. We also have Abraham in the Old Testament who lied about his wife claiming her to be his sister to protect himself from danger. The last I checked, lying and “looking out for self” are not exactly the building blocks of a healthy marriage. These are two small examples of dysfunctional families in the Bible. No one has the perfect life. Only God is perfect, and He uses imperfect people to perfect His love in us.
What you may see as chaos in your marriage and family, God sees as order just waiting to happen. Allow Him to bring order to your family through the power of priority. Priorities are the decisions before the decisions. For example, let’s say you made a choice to not to eat sweets for health reasons. When you show up to your friend’s house and there is chocolate cake, you don’t freak out on what to do because you already decided not to go there. Similarly, when you make your spouse a priority and someone tries to flirt with you, your decision to honor your marriage stands firm. You simply don’t entertain things that do not line up with your priorities.
“Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” Matthew 6:33 NLT
We may see all the dynamics and circumstances in our lives and ask, “How do I fix this?” Thankfully, when you seek Jesus first then He brings order. He will give you everything you need when He has the top position in your life. In a marriage, each person must be fully committed to Christ individually. He must be the center of your marriage. When God is first, then your spouse is your next priority. He will show you how to enjoy, honor and respect one another. When both parties are submitted to God then your children see a healthy chain of authority in your family. The right priorities will bring the right kind of power and flow to your household.
