What matters most to you?

This is the November newsletter article I wrote, I dare you to make a list and try to stick with it! Enjoy:


What matters most?


Expectations are a funny thing. Many times, what we expect of others is not what we expect of ourselves. We want others to always be thoughtful and for everyone to use their turn signals and such. However, I catch myself sometimes forgetting to use the signal as I am turning. Growing up, we never really talked about what was expected or what our priorities where. We simply knew because of what we did. In my life growing up, church was numbers one through four. Our lives revolved around church, everything church and nothing but church. Needless to say, that is not the case now or has it been for some time.
Gone are the expectations of members of the church to be at the church on Sunday morning, Sunday night and Wednesday nights. Most people, I suppose, feel it is okay for them to just go to service once that week. Are people sinning if they aren’t here “every time the doors are open?” No. Does it mean that people’s priorities have shifted from what they used to be? I think so.
What matters most to you? As a Pastor, expectations are high of me. There are things that I am expected to do that I didn’t even know I was supposed to do. We live in a fast paced society and I don’t see that slowing any time soon. We are flooded with events, meetings, sports, 4-H, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, band contests, recitals, rehearsals…do I need to go on? We have more options than a McDonald’s dollar menu. Do we go to church on Sunday night or stay at home and watch the race or the game? Do we go to Sunday school or catch that extra thirty minutes in bed? Do we volunteer to help with the Van Ministry or use that extra hour per week watching another news program? Do we attend church functions or just stay at home because…well, you get the point.
We all can come up with excuses to not do something. Our culture has helped us out with that one. My point is this: What matters MOST to you? My list includes, in no particular order after number one: My relationship with God, my marriage, my ministry, my family, my health, my church, and my relationship with the sponsors among many other things. You have to come up with your own list. What matters most to you? Whatever it is, your relationship with God is the number one thing or should be. How that plays out is really up to you. Make a list and try to live your life intentionally fulfilling your list of what matters most.

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