Priorities

Whatever line of work we’re in, we always have to consider our priorities. What is it that we feel is the most important thing about what we do? Earning money to benefit ourselves? Working hard to impress our boss?

It’s easy to slip into the thinking that our ‘work life’ is separate from the rest of our life.

If we aim to earn lots of money, that will benefit our personal life financially. We may work hard to impress the boss, but that can go one of two ways: we can exhaust ourselves, to the detriment of our family and friends; or it can instil an attitude of excellence, where everything must always be done to the highest standard possible. After all, we’re trying to be ‘professional’ about it all. It can be so easy for such attitudes to become our main priority.

I’ve come to the conclusion that our main priority should always be people. I don’t mean working hard to please people, I’m talking about helping others.

When upholding the values of the institution we work for means we choose not to listen to another person’s pain; when our determination to please the boss comes before spending time with someone in need; when saving a little extra for that nice holiday or fancy car means we don’t take our hungry neighbour out to lunch; when the wonderings of what ‘other people’ may think of us if we don’t act in the ‘correct manner’ becomes our focus...

That’s when there’s something wrong.

That’s what Jesus came to destroy.

“But you ignore the customs of our tradition!” ... “You don’t follow our age-old hand washing policies!” ... “You would do something that we would think of as work on our designated holy day?!”

People must come first.

Jesus wasn’t against Jews, or Romans. He was against people who would give their money to the ‘temple’ rather than feed their parents. He was against people not helping others just because it was considered a special day. He was against silly policies that were designed to make people look good and pure on the outside, when the real issue is the rot in the human soul.

This is part of the challenge to live. Our society can’t handle the self-sacrifice of putting the well-being of another person as top priority. Because the top priority of pretty much every society is remaining in control.

I could be the most honest and trustworthy person, the most kind and generous, the most helpful and the most popular, the most patient and most loving, and I could uphold the highest moral standards... but the way of the world deems all my good deeds worthless unless I bow the knee to and do the will of those in power.

Someone else was killed for this kind of thinking...

He said that we should not fear other human beings... though they may kill my body, they cannot touch my soul.

But no one needs to touch the soul if it is already rotten, if already the priority is for material possessions, wealth, or other things that are here today and gone in an instant. But when our priorities are set for the things of eternal value – other people – then our soul has life.

When we encourage someone, feed someone, clothe someone. When we fight the cause of the orphan, when we defend the widow. When we stand up against the injustice caused to another person. When we protect someone from harm, forgive the person who has wronged us and show love to those who would seek to destroy us.

Our work life is not separate from the rest of our life. It’s intertwined. How we live in one will affect how we live in the other. Our priorities must be right in all areas.

And when we start to get it right, we will face resistance.

Because that’s when we become dangerous. That’s when society loses control over us. That’s when we truly live a fulfilling life. That’s when our soul is revived. That’s when revolution comes.

Would you?

It’s funny how we can get the basics of Christianity so wrong. Maybe ‘funny’ isn’t the right word...

If a person is hungry, would you feed them?

If a person is naked, would you clothe them?

If a person has no roof over their head, would you take them in?

If a person has no transport, would you give them a lift?

If a person needs to chat, would you listen?

If a person is upset, would you let them cry on your shoulder?

If a person is tired, would you give up your bed?

If a person needs a wash, would you let them use your shower?

If a person doubts you, would you still trust them?

If a person cheats you, would you give them a second chance?

If a person wrongs you, would you forgive them?

If a person hates you, would you still love them?

I sometimes wonder what forgiveness looks like. It’s more than just words.

I sometimes wonder what charity looks like. It’s more than just your family and close friends.

Does it stretch to the people you work with? Does it stretch to the stranger?

Yes, we need wisdom. But we also need to obey the Lord’s command.

Those Kingdom principles. They give us a heart.

Does it really matter how old the person is?

Time

There’s a fantastic little quote from the film Hook that goes like this:

“We have a few special years with our children, when they’re the ones who want us around. After that, you’re going to be running after them for a bit of attention.”

And it leaves me wondering... Are all those phone calls really necessary? Is our favourite TV programme really that important? Does a few minutes longer on the computer really mean that much to us?

Children might leave home at 18. Those first few years are full of sleepless nights, crying babies and a lot of attempted discipline. The next few years involve a lot of different responses to the question, “But why?” Then the teenage years hit where many parents struggle to cope and find their kids ‘rebelling’ against their good ol’ standards.

And then they’re gone.

Maybe there’s a younger child who’s still at home: someone to fill the void; someone to dote upon; someone to bring up better because we’ll have had practise with the first.

But it’s not about us. It’s about them.

It’s a well-known fact that young people are influenced by who they hang out with. If parents don’t take the time to be with their children, is it any wonder when they don’t turn out ‘as expected’? It’s not just about being in the same house. It’s the banter. The silliness. The deep chats. The crazy games. The days out. The emotional times. The fun times. It saddens me to think that there are parents with children who don’t enjoy spending time with them.

Children are so forgiving, but we can be blind to those little snippets where they ask us to be with them, “Hey, come look at this!” and, “Look what I can do!” They deserve a bigger hope, a better future.

What we wear

Yet again I’m frustrated by the way in which young people can be regarded at church. I am reminded again at the prevailing culture that young people are to be “seen and not heard” and that they are only required in order to make the church look good: “See this young person saying something at the front of our church, aren’t we such an all-encompassing family?”

James 2:1-4 says:

“My dear brothers and sisters, how can you claim to have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favour some people over others? For example, suppose someone comes into your meeting dressed in fancy clothes and expensive jewellery, and another comes in who is poor and dressed in dirty clothes. If you give special attention and a good seat to the rich person, but you say to the poor one, “You stand over there, or else sit on the floor” – well, doesn’t this discrimination show that you are guided by evil motives?”

And here’s where my frustration comes: people tend not to be particularly bothered by what teenagers wear. We all know that some teenagers can dress rather provocatively: some do it to rebel against our culture and society; others do it to keep up with their fashion. Either way, shouldn’t we, as Christians, be glad when a teenager walks into church?

Time and again we hear it said: “Don’t judge a book by it’s cover.” And yet those first impressions can say a lot. The church “welcome team” will pass judgment just by staring at incorrect attire, and the young person will be filled with such warmth and love... that it’s probably an act of God that they don’t walk out straight away!

Enough about extreme examples. What really gets me is when a teenager comes to church, wearing clothes that they’ve worn to church before and which are ‘socially acceptable’ outside of church, but just because they are given something to say from the front, where the whole congregation will be watching, they are told it is inappropriate.

It’s as if to say, “Sorry, but this church prides itself on excellence.” The whole showbiz attitude comes in and you’re only allowed on stage if you’re dressed correctly. Seriously, if I was ever asked to speak at a church like that, I’d want to do it dressed in rags!

James might be talking more about reserving special seats for ‘people of importance’ but I believe the passage can be applied in this context too. By telling someone that they must change the way they dress just because they are on a stage, we effectively tell them, “As you are, you’re not good enough for this church.” It reinforces the toxic message that God only accepts those who are perfect, and that the church is a place for ‘perfect’ people. I firmly believe that such attitudes run counter to the values of Jesus.

If a young person isn’t good enough to be on show as they are, then such a church is not good enough for that young person.

It’s not about ‘dressing appropriately for the occasion’: sure, in non-Christian environments (or any employment arena), there are social rules for how we dress. But church is about the Kingdom. It’s not about how we look to others, it’s about how we look to God. We don’t want to be white-washed tombs. It’s about our heart.

For some young people, church is a big enough struggle as it is. The people in church, along with various traditions and customs, can be the stumbling block in the faith of teenagers. There’s no need to add to their burdens. After all, we’ll only be left asking ourselves the question, “Why aren’t there many young people in our church?”

When other people became gods...

Our society seems to be one of always caring about what other people think. Many boys like to have a suave hairstyle, many girls like to douse themselves in makeup. Whether it’s where we live or what car we have, the clothes we wear or the food we eat, so often a determining factor can be what it will look like to other people.

Much of that can be shrugged off, but it even affects how we act. We wouldn’t like to be seen to be in a situation where our actions could be misinterpreted, therefore we sometimes avoid such situations. In fact, many people would tell you that the sensible option is to avoid such a situation.

But what happens when this clashes with other values we may hold?

Does another person hold any value when we want to make sure we don’t look bad? Should I drive the young person home on my own to avoid them having to walk 45 minutes in the freezing cold? Should I make someone spend money to catch the bus when I’m travelling the same journey at the same time?

Should I change my plans just because someone, somewhere might think negatively about it? Should I cancel an evening activity for young people, not because it breaks the law, but because there aren’t enough adults to please others? Should I submit to a higher authority rather than positively impacting the lives of others?

Why do we bow the knee to the thoughts of a select few, at the expense of the needy? Why do we care how others perceive our motives? If we have a pure heart and pure motives, why do we allow our compassion to be restricted? Why do we let others dictate how our kindness is displayed? Why should a godly way of life be quenched because someone, somewhere might disagree with it?

When did we make the thoughts of other people our god?

The fathers we need

"I believe that God desires for every father to courageously step up and do whatever it takes to be involved in the lives of his children. But more than just being there, providing for them, he is to walk with them through their young lives and be a visual representation of the character of God, their father in heaven.

A father should love his children and seek to win their hearts. He should protect them, discipline them, and teach them about God. He should model how to walk with integrity and treat others with respect and should call out his children to become responsible men and women who live their lives for what matters in eternity.

 

Some men will hear this and mock it, or ignore it. But I tell you that as a father, you are accountable to God for the position of influence He has given you. You can’t fall asleep at the wheel, only to wake up one day and realise that your job or your hobbies have no eternal value, but the souls of your children do.

Some men will hear this and agree with it, but have no resolve to live it out. Instead, they will live for themselves and waste the opportunity to leave a Godly legacy for the next generation. But there are some men who, regardless of the mistakes we’ve made in the past, regardless of what our fathers did not do for us, will give the strength of our arms and the rest of our days to loving God with all that we are, and to teach our children to do the same. And whenever possible, to love and mentor others who have no fathers in their lives, but who desperately need help and direction."

Courtesy of Sherwood Pictures' film Courageous.

I may not have children of my own, but there are many children who I have come to care for, to protect and to love as if they were my own.

The 'other' lost sheep

Once, there were two shepherds.

One shepherd is often talked about; his heroism being a well-known story. He is the one who looked after 100 sheep and, when one wandered off, he left the other ninety nine and looked everywhere, not stopping until he found it. When he did find it, he put the sheep on his shoulders and held a great celebration.

The other shepherd lived in a different time.

He also had 100 sheep, but some of his sheep were much younger – some were still lambs. One day, he noticed that one little lamb had wandered off. He was about to set off to search for that lamb, when he paused to think. The culture of the day said that lambs were fragile creatures that needed a lot of love and care, so much so that two shepherds were needed, just in case the lamb had gotten itself into a spot of bother.

The shepherd didn’t want to be accused of mistreating his delicate lamb, so he went to a neighbouring farm and asked the shepherd there if he could have some help. His neighbour listened to his problem, and then accused him of not thinking the situation through: how could he be so careless as to leave ninety nine sheep alone – especially when some of them were just lambs – in order to go searching for just one? Perhaps he should just cut his losses and get on with his duties for the others. After all, he could have faith that God would make sure the lost little lamb was safe...