Priorities

I always love a good story, and I ran across this one the other day.

• A lighthouse along a bleak coast was tended by a keeper who was given enough oil for one month and told to keep the light burning every night. One day a woman asked for oil so that her children could stay warm. Then a farmer came. His son needed oil for a lamp so he could read. Still another needed some for an engine. The keeper saw each as a worthy request and measured out just enough oil to satisfy all. Near the end of the month, the tank in the lighthouse ran dry. That night the beacon was dark and three ships crashed on the rocks. More than 100 lives were lost. When a government official investigated, the man explained what he had done and why. "You were given one task alone," insisted the official. "It was to keep the light burning. Everything else was secondary. There is no defense."

All of us have priorities in our lives. We have our family, our friends, our careers and other responsibilities that keep us so busy. The problem for most of us isn't finding priorities, its putting our list of priorities in order. Which comes first? How do I keep it first? What happens if I focus on the wrong thing. The man in this story faced a similar quandary. He knew what his job was, yet other things that sounded so "right" came along and caused him to lose focus. No one would want a woman and her children to freeze. None of us would want to deny a child light to read by. The light keeper just couldn't say say no and because of that he missed the mark of his top priority.

This past Sunday we looked at James chapter 4 and addressed the issue of priorities. The people that James spoke to there were dealing with the ramifications of a life spent looking around at each other instead of looking to the Father. James reminds his readers that that their number one priority should be submitting and humbling themselves before God. He tells them that if they do this then God will draw near to them and exalt them because of it. So often we get our priorities our of whack. We start putting all of our focus on our careers; and then we become discontent when we see someone doing better than we are. We turn our attention to our families and then are disillusioned when we see our kids crying and throwing food while the family at the next table looks like they are on a magazine shoot! If we focus on earthly things you will always miss the mark. James 4 would tell us to focus on God, love people and remember that life is short---do the right thing FIRST! (10) Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands...purify your hearts...Do that with daily times of prayer and scripture readings. Do that with daily times of repentance and meditation on His Word. Do that by focusing on His will and not your own. Keep your eyes on the prize; the race is hard but the race is short!