This week, we continued the series, “Is This It?”. In this
part we discussed another of the wilderness traps we need to learn to
avoid. This trap has to do with having the correct priorities for our lives.
Most
of us would easily name the top priority (our relationship with God), but we get into a trap when the enemy convinces us to
include things in that top priority that do not belong. He also likes to
trap us into miscategorizing other priorities – or simply getting them
completely out of order.
Matthew
6:33 tells us to “seek first His kingdom.” When we have the priority
right, we can then expect “all these things” to also flow in our lives.
Notice that it also does not say seek ONLY His kingdom. There are dreams
and desires in your heart that are okay to pursue and work toward, but do
not let them become what you seek FIRST. The reality is that those true
heart’s desires you have are likely to have been placed there by God
anyway. When you seek Him first, He’ll come along side you and help you
achieve those things.
So,
the first priority is our relationship with God. What is the second? It
is family and life obligations. After that comes ministry and
purpose/dreams. One of the traps I alluded to earlier was that sometimes
we confuse and combine relationship with God and ministry. They are not
the same thing.
We
cannot adopt an attitude that if we get immersed in doing God’s work
that He’ll just take care of all our responsibilities – like our
families. God has equipped you to do both! Moses learns this lesson in
Exodus 18.
In
Exodus 18:2-3 we read that Moses sends his wife and two children to go
stay with her father, Jethro. This is presumably because he is so busy
with attending to the needs of the people that he has no time to care
for his family.
A
few verses later we read that Jethro brings them back. He is
essentially saying, “No way. This is YOUR responsibility, not mine. I
already raised her. Now she’s yours.” But what is Moses supposed to do?
He has millions of people looking to him for direction and for him to
speak for God.
Jethro
takes a look at how Moses is doing things. He asks Moses why he is
doing everything alone while all these other people are just standing
around all day. He goes on to give Moses a lesson in leadership and
delegation. Jethro recognizes that if Moses continues to act as he is, he will fail
his mission and his family.
Moses
takes Jethro’s advice and organizes, delegates, and sets up structure
and a chain of command. Then Jethro goes home – without Moses’ wife and
kids. Mission accomplished.
Now,
there is an interesting thing to understand about Jethro. He is not an
Israelite. In fact, he is a Midianite high priest. He sacrifices to
idols. Why would Moses receive any guidance from a wicked idol
worshipper? Why? Because he was right!
God
can use all kinds of sources to bring truth to our lives. Certainly the
Bible is our first source, but not our only one. There are a lot of people
and books out there who have a lot of knowledge that can help us. As
long as that knowledge is not in conflict with the Word in any way, it
is good. Understand also that Moses did not ask for or receive any
spiritual counsel from Jethro. That would be an area in which Jethro’s
knowledge would not be true wisdom. Moses demonstrated a humble,
teachable spirit.
Another
thing to keep in mind is that when we either become first born again or
when we hit new, exciting levels in our Christian walk, there is a zeal
that drives us to the bigger things that God has for us. You should never
allow the enemy to use that zeal against you – to get you to neglect
what you’ve already been given to do.
Luke
9:61-62 illustrates this. Many have ready this passage and believed
that Jesus was telling this man that, to follow Christ you must be
willing to leave your family without even saying goodbye. Jesus was
actually saying quite the opposite. You see, when Jesus uses the example
of a plow and a field, he does so intentionally. These are images and
symbols in the Word for your family – the field you have sown into and
continue to work.
What
Jesus is actually saying is that you are not worthy to come follow Him
if you would walk away from the field you’ve been given the
responsibility to take care of. You already have a field to plow – your
family. Don’t walk away from them in your zeal. Jesus is telling the man
that he does not have the freedom to just walk away and join Jesus’
ministry. Maybe you don’t have a family to care for, but maybe you do
have responsibilities that it is not okay to walk away from just because you
are excited about what God has for you in the future. Be faithful with
what you have now, and God will add other things when it is time and you
are ready.
To listen to the entire sermon go to http://ahwatukeechurch.com/media.php.
To learn more about Living Word
Ahwatukee, visit http://ahwatukeechurch.com/.
