What!!??!!. . . you know,. . . .in the list of priorities that maybe you have had since becoming a Christian. . . . God is first, then family, then church, work/school, etc…. -  – - That is a myth. . . . and I was reminded of this yesterday by a fellow Bethel faculty member – David Macabe.  . . . . stick with me for a moment -

What does this priority list do to you?. . .  It makes you fight to get 15 minutes of alone time with God, maybe in the morning. . . . maybe at night . . . or else you feel very guilty, and not very much at peace. . . why? . . . because you have not had “your time” with God that day right??. . . . You have not had your time to focus and block out everything else and attend only to God. . . . and it is here that this myth becomes dangerous. . .

What does this priority list assume?. . . . that there are quantifiable boundaries to the categories of our lives. . . “family life”, “work life”, “spiritual life”, but of course. . . . if there are boundaries then there must be things outside of those boundaries as well, such as. . . . . my “unspritual life” . . . furthermore, if alone time with God is my first priority, that is, . . . it is the only thing that “counts” –  then maybe . . I slowly lose my ability (or never gain the skill in the first place) to see God in all categories of my life. . . because . . . .when I am with God, I am trying to block those “other” things out right? . . .  to escape, to find peace and understanding outside of those elements of my life, which may be attained. . . . as long as you never plan on reentering the “rest” of your life . . . . . . . . . . what an unfair limitation to put on the Creator of all things – that God must become a first priority – first and only first – separate from the rest of His creation in my life.

Instead, I believe that God is omnipresent and He wants me to be Omni-searching-listening-conversing-laughing-sacrificing- crying-playing-studying- with Him. . . . and I am despartely yearning for the ability to be with God in every part of my life. . . . this is so difficult isn’t it. . . sometimes it seems so chaotic and impossible. . . .it is so much easier to hear and see God when we block things out during our devotions and during our church services. . . . . .and though I do believe that it is absolutely critical to have alone time with God (just look at Jesus). . . . if our main efforts are to experience/see/hear/feel God in our alone time with Him. . . . then that is the only time we will. . . and, well, . . . .  I just want more than that. . . .  . . here are some final thoughts:

Instead of prioritized categories in a “to do” list, let’s think about the analogy of our solar system. . . all of us, with all of our “issues”, all of our schedules, all of our emotions are rotating around this source (God) of light and heat and life – we are being held there (though we are constantly trying to fight it and break free) only by the strong gravitational force of God’s love, sacrifice, and provision. You see. . . it is not our priority . . . it is the center of everything, . . . without it, we cannot see, have energy, or have life. . . . God’s light and love affects all living things and his plans, purposes, and wisdom are woven like a tapestry of the categories of our lives . . . . He is there in everything. 

Finally, though this whole post may seem like a trivial perspective shift or just a ploy of rhetoric. . . to me. . . it keeps me revolving around the Son in all things. . . .