On Priorities

Proper priorities mean a lot in every life. People have become so busy in trying to attain that bigger house, nicer car, better physique, or other status-based goal that they forget what it is to truly live a good life. Many people also assign their own values as being the most important. This is not possible for the person who believes...not the person who claims to believe, simply for the person who actually believes in God. Do a brief search of Scripture and you might be astounded at the number of times you will find passages where it is stated "If you love me, you will keep my commandments" by Jesus or by someone attributing that thought to Him. Both the Gospel of John and the books of John have that stated explicitly and several other books have it stated implicitly. James would be an example of the latter. This has the obvious implication that if the greatest commandment is, as Jesus states in the Gospels, to "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your strength and with all your mind" then the first priority of a believer is to Love God which is shown by obeying His commandments.


A Christian, therefore, should be easily identifiable due to their habit of following the commands of God. This means following all of His commands, not just the convenient or popular ones. True Christianity has historically and probably unavoidably been unpopular because it demands of people a standard most people have no desire to attain. The Christian who is following God will of necessity be a kinder, gentler person than the average person of the world, yet one who is willing and able to speak up against wrong. As Paul said in Ephesians 5:11, "Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness but instead, even expose them." People, as a general rule, do not like having their wrong-doing exposed.


Yet there is a right way to follow this passage and a wrong way. A Christian typically ought not to be confrontational or obnoxious, particularly to the point where they cause a resentment that turns people away from the message they are trying to teach. That runs counter to Scriptures such as Romans 12:18, "If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men" and the Old Testament Proverbs 15:1, "A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger."


Even when wrong must be confronted and it turns into a regrettable situation, the Christian should be at peace with God and with their actions. Consider Philippians 4:6-9


Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by (I)prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
7And (J)the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will (K)guard your hearts and your (L)minds in (M)Christ Jesus.
8Finally, brethren, (N)whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.
9The things you have learned and received and heard and seen (O)in me, practice these things, and (P)the God of peace will be with you.


First, if you have prayed about the situation and your actions, you will have entered into the situation well prepared to deal with whatever arises. You will know that you have done your best to be in a Godly frame of mind as you approach it. The destructive nature of anxiety, particularly over events you cannot control, recedes into the background as you allow God to take on your worries and you trust his promise "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who are called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28).



It is important to note that promise does not extend to the person who is not following God's purpose. The atheist, agnostic, or follower of false religion does not have that promise, though they often claim it.


But prayer, while important and commanded as a constant in I Thessalonians 5:17, "Pray without ceasing," is nevertheless not the only step to preparing for facing trials and temptations.



The second step naturally would be to apply God's principles to the situation at hand, whatever the situation is you are confronting. An easy way to apply those principles is to know them intimately and thoroughly. Verse 8 guides us in how to be prepared in this way. Spend time considering those principles, meditating on them, and applying them. The more time you spend doing that, the less time you will spend being tempted by evil and the less question you will have when those "gray areas" come up.


Of course, unlike Einstein's famous "thought experiments", it is not enough to simply consider them. Christianity is not a religion of empty philosophy and inaction. As verse 9 says, practice these things. Nor is this an isolated principle. II Peter gives a list of things that as long as the Christian is practicing, they will never stumble.



2(F)Grace and peace be multiplied to you in (G)the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord;
3seeing that His (H)divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true (I)knowledge of Him who (J)called us by His own glory and excellence.
4For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent (K)promises, so that by them you may become (L)partakers of the divine nature, having (M)escaped the (N)corruption that is in (O)the world by lust.
5Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith (P)supply (Q)moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, (R)knowledge,
6and in your knowledge, (S)self-control, and in your self-control, (T)perseverance, and in your perseverance, (U)godliness,
7and in your godliness, (V)brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love.
8For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor (W)unfruitful in the true (X)knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
9For he who lacks these qualities is (Y)blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his (Z)purification from his former sins.
10Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His (AA)calling and (AB)choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never (AC)stumble;



If you look at this list, some might seem passive, yet in verse 5 we are instructed to apply all diligence. This implies we must actively work to improve them. Indeed, without working at them, how can they be improving? "Use it or lose it" goes the childhood proverb and it is true. The person who does not use their Christian skills loses them, becoming the proverbial weakling.



Perhaps this is why James talks about the uselessness of being a hearer but not a doer throughout the second chapter (you can read the passage from verses 14-26 here. ) and the passages combine to present a very clear picture. To be acting as a Christian and accepted by God as such you must, absolutely, positively must, without exception, be doing your best to exhibit a character that falls in line with these teachings.



And those teachings include the undeniable, indisputable fact that Christianity is peaceful but not passive.


This is a difference many critics miss out on. They talk about how Christians can believe whatever they want as long as they keep it to themselves, unaware that one of the first and greatest commands God gave was for Christians to tell non-Christians about him as they go (study the Greek in the "Great Commission". It clearly states "As you go in the world, preach the Gospel", a vastly different concept that the way it is commonly taught today).


Of course, there is also a right way and wrong way to do that. Remember the prior admonition to the disciples in Luke 9:5 to "And as for those who do not receive you, as you go out from that city, shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them." Just as you cannot force people to stop smoking because it is bad for them...or to stop drinking or sleeping around or toking out...you cannot force them to start acting morally and righteously, nor can you force them to stop doing things God has prohibited, and some people will never listen. It is not up to the Christians to impose their will by force. Far from it. They should make known the things of God whenever people will listen. They should never refrain from speaking truth. But what is to be gained by, after repeated rejections from the same person, continuing to speak to them?



Was it not Jesus Himself, the Inspiration and Guide for those who wrote passages about love and peace who said, "Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces" (Matthew 7:6)



In short, whatever your secular goals, the Christian should constantly be thinking on whether the deeds they are performing, the thoughts they are expressing, and the character they display is a good representation of how God would have them live, whether society finds it acceptable or not.