1 Corinthians 10:23
All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not.
We face choices and decisions every day, but just because we have the freedom of choice does not mean we should ignore our priorities. Many people have gotten themselves into bad situations because they did not keep their priorities straight. Paul says that just because something is lawful to do does not mean it is the right thing to do.
Let me illustrate the importance of priorities by way of finances. Just because someone has money in the bank does not mean they should spend it on things that they desire. Your first priority is to tithe on your income. Paying bills is the right thing to do, but to pay your bills but before your tithe is getting your priorities mixed up, which leads to disobedience. Yes, the Scriptures command believers to pay their bills, but their first priority is to pay their tithe. Likewise, to pay your tithe but spend money on luxuries instead of paying your bills is also wrong. Your financial priorities dictate that you pay your tithe first, your bills next, and if you have anything left over is what you have available for luxury spending. All it takes to have dysfunctional finances is to get your financial priorities out of order.
One of Satan’s biggest ploys is to get believers to get their priorities out of order. Satan offers things that are not bad, but he offers them to get you to avoid your priorities. For instance, a church’s first priority is to spread the Gospel. There is nothing wrong with a church having a Christian school. However, when the Christian school runs the church schedule and keeps the church from soul winning, the Christian school becomes wrong. A church must keep its priorities straight if it is to stay in favor with God.
Moreover, after God, a married person’s first priority is their spouse. There is nothing wrong with a married person spending time with friends, but when those friends keep you from loving your spouse and fulfilling your home duties, your friends have become a wrong priority in your life. Many marriage problems could be resolved if both husband and wife kept their priorities straight.
Furthermore, a pastor’s first priority is to his church. I am not against a pastor preaching meetings in other churches, but when that pastor misses his pulpit regularly to preach in another church, that pastor has gotten his priorities out of order. Anything that would keep me from being the pastor God wants me to be to the people I pastor is wrong, whether it be sin or getting priorities out of order.
If you are to keep your priorities in proper order, you must identify your priorities. You must identify the primary priority in your life and never let anything get ahead of that priority. One of the greatest investments of time any person could make is taking time to identify their priorities and the order in which those priorities fall, and never waver from that list.
Moreover, you must also never let good pull you away from priorities. My friend, priorities rarely scream that they need to be done, but priorities not followed will always cause unneeded frustration in your life. When deciding what to do, you must always ask yourself what is your priority. Always care for the first priorities, and by keeping your priorities in line, you will keep yourself from being overwhelmed with problems that could have been cared for had you kept your priorities in line.
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