Some years ago I participated in a course written by Don Wellman called “Dynamics of Discipling”. I learned a great lesson during that course that has stuck with me and helped me for many years.
In a discussion regarding priorities in the Christian life Rev. Wellman had us all make a list of our priorities. Everyone of us put God first on our list. Then it varied some with the main subjects of family, church, job, etc. We were all wrong. We were then shown two things. First, God does not belong on the list and second, the other things on the list vary as to what is the most important based on the circumstances. I am going to focus on the first (although the second is a great lesson as well).Â
A list of priorities designates what is most important, followed by what is second, and so on. As Pastors of course we had to put God first on our list, even ahead of our families. That made us all feel very spiritual. Problem is, the thing which is first on your list is not absolute, meaning that although it is the most improtant it is not always what you are focusing on. God, on the other hand should be an absolute to us as Christians. Rather than be on the list, God should be the list that everything else is written on. We should approach our family, our jobs, our church, and everything else from the perspective of God in our lives. God should permeate our family as well as our jobs and our church.Â
To put God on our list, even if in first place says that there are times, places and things where He is not involved. As Christians we far too often segregate our lives. We have have our God segment, our family segment, our church segment (sometimes confused with the God segment), our job segment, even our entertainment or hobbies and interests segments. Granted many of them have some level of interaction with others. For example it may be that our primary reason for working is to provide for our families.Â
But as Christians our lives are to be more integrated, with God as that which permeates all parts. We are not to be made up of a God part along with other parts such as a family part, a career part, etc. Our relationship with God should not be something that gets turned on and off. When I go home from my job I am pretty good at leaving it at work. I can usually turn it on and off pretty well. There is never a time to leave God anywhere. He is to saturate all of our being and all of our doing. Lets seek to integrate our lives fully into God.