Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. A little time with my Redeemer, a little time digging into my Instruction Manual for Truth, a little coffee, a little rain, and a very Grateful heart, and NOW I’m Set for this new day. Without attention given to my Priority Lists, would my Heart be overflowing with Gratitude this morning? Not a chance! If I don’t keep my Priorities straight, the darkness of the world looks overwhelming to me, and before you know it, my Courage can begin to get shaken, and my Heart begins to get heavy. Keeping my Priorities straight at the start of each new day is what equips me to be ALL that God intends for me to be, and I am forever reminded that I have a Purpose in this life far greater than myself. Jesus Christ IS my biggest priority, and His Plans for me are Prioritized over everything else in my Life. My Priorities are non-negotiable. Isn’t that the way you manage your Journey of Faith, too?

Just like anything else in life, it takes commitment to keep Priorities in check. A busy schedule can easily rock the boat, and if I’m not careful, I might be tempted to rush out the door without a second thought to my Priorities. If I want that busy schedule to go smoothly, then I’d better be Spiritually Equipped for the day. I could easily get distracted by the needs of others, and I might be tempted to set aside my own priorities to put their needs above my own. But if I want to have what it takes to give others the Best Part of me, then I need to have my Spiritual Priorities in order. I could easily be distracted by the little things in life, and I could change my schedule so that my Priorities are addressed after my family, my chores, my errands, my work, or my home. But if I do that, my priorities are no longer a Priority at all, and they take a back seat to so many other things of less importance. If I want to accomplish all the little things in my Life, I’d better be Spiritually equipped to handle the load. My Priorities are non-negotiable.

Sometimes I like to close my eyes and imagine what the world would look like if even a fraction of the people who profess to be Christians had their Priorities straight too. What would it look like if their Hearts overflowed with Gratitude, no matter what the dark world looks like? What would it look like if they set the alarm clock for an earlier time JUST SO that they have time with the Living God before anything else on their list of things to do? What would the world look like if they started seeing their children as an opportunity to raise the next “godly generation” instead of an opportunity to brag about their accomplishments? What would the world look like if the needs of others were Prioritized above their own? What would the world look like if they began to see that their money isn’t their money at all and that God has a Plan for Giving that is Prioritized above our own personal thrills? Godly Priorities should be non-negotiable.

I often hear people say that they don’t have the “luxury” of setting aside time for Priorities like mine – aka Time with the Living God before everything else – but I just wonder…if we don’t have a little time to give to the Living God, the King of kings, the Lord of lords, the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, the Prince of peace, the Bright Morning Star, then WHY IN THE WORLD DO THEY EXPECT HIM TO MAKE OUR NEEDS A PRIORITY EITHER? I need Him. I NEED to be the “apple of His eye”, and I NEED for Him to “Hide me in the shadow of His wings,” and for as long as there is breath in my body, He will be my Biggest Priority. My Priorities are non-negotiable because I want ALL that He has for me, and I want to Fulfil my Purpose before He calls me Home. With my Priorities straight, I hope to hear “Well done, good and faithful servant” One Day. For all the professed Believers who refuse to get their Priorities straight, there is no Time like the Present to make things right with the Living God…before it’s too late.

I’ve got my Priorities straight and I Guard my Time with the Living God day after day. He will always come first because my Priorities are non-negotiable. He’s FIRST and my world knows it.

How about you?

I will sing to the Lord all my life;

I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.

May my meditation be pleasing to him,

as I rejoice in the Lord – Psalm 104: 33, 34