Aligning Priorities: Putting God at the Center

 

Summary

In our fast-paced world, it's easy to become overwhelmed by the demands of daily life, much like Maria in Stephen Covey's story. She found herself torn between her love for her newborn and the myriad of tasks she felt she needed to accomplish. This tension between our internal compass and the relentless ticking of the clock is something we all experience. We often find ourselves prioritizing tasks that seem urgent but may not be truly important. The story of Maria serves as a reminder that sometimes, we need to let go of our schedules and focus on what truly matters.

The book of Haggai offers profound insights into this struggle. The Israelites, having returned from exile, were more focused on their personal comforts than on rebuilding the temple. God, through Haggai, challenged them to reassess their priorities. The heart of the message is clear: what we prioritize reveals what we truly love. If we claim to love God, our actions and priorities should reflect that love. It's not enough to have good intentions; we must take immediate action to align our lives with God's priorities.

God's call to the Israelites was not just about building a physical temple but about realigning their hearts and lives to prioritize Him. The same applies to us today. We must examine our lives and ask ourselves if we are truly putting God first. Are we willing to make sacrifices and take tangible steps to prioritize Him? The promise is clear: when we prioritize God, He is with us, guiding and blessing our efforts.

In conclusion, the challenge is to live with urgency and clarity, recognizing that our time and resources are limited. We must prioritize what truly matters, ensuring that God and His purposes are at the forefront of our lives. By doing so, we align ourselves with His will and experience the fullness of His presence and blessings.

Key Takeaways:

1. The Heart's True Priorities: Our actions reveal what we truly love. If we claim to love God, our schedules and priorities should reflect that love. It's not about fitting God into our busy lives but about making Him the center of our lives. [08:54]

2. The Cost of Misplaced Priorities: There is a cost to not prioritizing God. When we neglect Him, we miss out on His blessings and guidance. Conversely, when we put Him first, we experience His presence and favor in our lives. [21:47]

3. Immediate Action Reflects True Priorities: Saying something is a priority is meaningless without immediate action. God desires not just our intentions but our tangible steps towards prioritizing Him. [26:15]

4. God's Presence with the Prioritized: When we prioritize God, He promises to be with us. This assurance of His presence is a profound blessing, offering guidance, comfort, and strength in our daily lives. [33:11]

5. Reassessing Our Lives: We must regularly examine our lives to ensure our priorities align with God's. This involves a willingness to make sacrifices and take action, even when it's challenging. [15:58]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [02:35] - The Compass and the Clock
- [03:43] - Haggai's Context
- [05:17] - Misplaced Priorities
- [06:22] - Justifying Our Choices
- [07:45] - The Heart's True Love
- [08:54] - Prioritizing What We Love
- [09:49] - Love and Prioritization
- [10:52] - Real-Life Examples
- [12:49] - No Excuses for Priorities
- [13:53] - Examining Our Hearts
- [15:18] - Consider Your Ways
- [17:34] - Urgency and Clarity
- [18:55] - The Cost of Neglect
- [20:49] - The Benefit of Prioritizing God

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
- Haggai 1:1-15

Observation Questions:
1. What was the main reason the Israelites were not prioritizing the rebuilding of the temple according to Haggai 1:2-4? [05:17]
2. How did God respond to the Israelites' excuses for not rebuilding the temple? [06:22]
3. What actions did God command the Israelites to take in Haggai 1:7-8, and what was the intended outcome? [24:22]
4. How did the people respond to Haggai's message, and what was the result of their obedience? [30:41]

Interpretation Questions:
1. What does the story of Maria in Stephen Covey's book illustrate about the tension between urgent tasks and important priorities? [02:35]
2. How does the book of Haggai challenge the Israelites to reassess their priorities, and what does this reveal about their relationship with God? [03:43]
3. In what ways does the sermon suggest that misplaced priorities can lead to missing out on God's blessings and guidance? [21:47]
4. How does the concept of immediate action reflect true priorities, according to the sermon? [26:15]

Application Questions:
1. Reflect on your current priorities. Are there areas in your life where you are prioritizing urgent tasks over important ones? How can you realign these priorities to focus on what truly matters? [02:35]
2. Consider the story of the Israelites in Haggai. Are there any "temples" in your life that you have neglected to rebuild or prioritize? What steps can you take to address this? [05:17]
3. The sermon emphasizes the cost of misplaced priorities. Can you identify a time when not prioritizing God led to missed opportunities or blessings in your life? How can you learn from this experience? [21:47]
4. Immediate action is a sign of true priorities. What is one tangible step you can take this week to prioritize God in your daily routine? [26:15]
5. The sermon mentions the importance of reassessing our lives regularly. How often do you take time to evaluate your priorities, and what tools or practices can help you do this more effectively? [15:58]
6. God's presence is promised to those who prioritize Him. How does this assurance impact your willingness to make sacrifices for your faith? [33:11]
7. Reflect on the questions posed at the end of the sermon. Which of these questions challenges you the most, and why? How can you address this challenge in your life? [33:46]

Devotional

Day 1: Actions Reflect True Love
In our daily lives, our actions often reveal our true priorities and what we genuinely love. If we claim to love God, this should be evident in how we allocate our time and resources. It's not about squeezing God into our busy schedules but about making Him the center of our lives. This requires a conscious effort to evaluate our daily activities and ensure they align with our professed love for God. By doing so, we demonstrate that our love for Him is not just a verbal declaration but a lived reality. [08:54]

Haggai 1:5-6 (ESV): "Now, therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways. You have sown much, and harvested little. You eat, but you never have enough; you drink, but you never have your fill. You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm. And he who earns wages does so to put them into a bag with holes."

Reflection: What is one specific way you can rearrange your schedule this week to reflect your love for God more clearly?


Day 2: The Cost of Neglecting God
When we fail to prioritize God, we miss out on the blessings and guidance He offers. The Israelites, as described in the book of Haggai, focused on their personal comforts rather than God's temple, leading to a lack of fulfillment and divine favor. Conversely, when we put God first, we open ourselves to His presence and favor in our lives. This principle challenges us to reassess our priorities and recognize the cost of neglecting our relationship with God. [21:47]

Haggai 1:9 (ESV): "You looked for much, and behold, it came to little. And when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why? declares the Lord of hosts. Because of my house that lies in ruins, while each of you busies himself with his own house."

Reflection: Identify an area in your life where you have been prioritizing personal comfort over your relationship with God. What steps can you take to realign this priority?


Day 3: Immediate Action as a Reflection of Priorities
Claiming something as a priority is meaningless without immediate action. God desires not just our intentions but our tangible steps towards prioritizing Him. This involves making deliberate choices that reflect our commitment to Him, even when it's challenging. By taking immediate action, we demonstrate that our priorities are not just theoretical but are actively shaping our lives. [26:15]

James 1:22-24 (ESV): "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like."

Reflection: What is one specific action you can take today to demonstrate that God is a priority in your life?


Day 4: Assurance of God's Presence
When we prioritize God, He promises to be with us, offering guidance, comfort, and strength. This assurance of His presence is a profound blessing that enriches our daily lives. By putting God first, we align ourselves with His will and experience the fullness of His presence and blessings. This promise encourages us to trust in His guidance and rely on His strength as we navigate the challenges of life. [33:11]

Isaiah 41:10 (ESV): "Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

Reflection: In what area of your life do you need to trust in God's presence and guidance more fully? How can you invite Him into that area today?


Day 5: Regular Reassessment of Priorities
We must regularly examine our lives to ensure our priorities align with God's. This involves a willingness to make sacrifices and take action, even when it's challenging. By reassessing our priorities, we ensure that we are living in alignment with God's will and experiencing the fullness of His blessings. This ongoing process of evaluation and adjustment helps us stay focused on what truly matters. [15:58]

2 Corinthians 13:5 (ESV): "Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!"

Reflection: Set aside time this week to prayerfully examine your current priorities. What adjustments do you need to make to ensure they align with God's will?

Quotes

"In Stephen Covey's book First Things First, he recounts this story: My daughter Maria, who recently had their third child, was talking with me one evening. She said, 'I'm so frustrated, Dad. You know how much I love this baby, but she's literally taking all my time. I'm just not getting anything else done, including many things that only I can do.' I could understand how this was frustrating to her. Maria is bright and capable, and she's always been involved in many good things. She was feeling pulled by good things, projects she wanted to accomplish, contributions she wanted to make, things around the house that weren't getting done." [00:00:11] (50 seconds)


"For many of us, there is a gap between the compass and the clock, between what's deeply important to us and the way we spend our time. We all know that spiritual things in life should come first and be a priority in our lives. It is what is the most important and gives us the most satisfaction and fulfillment in life. And yet, the daily clock keeps on ticking with so many things that call to us for some of our time. And before you know it, at the end of the day, we feel tired and wonder what we have accomplished." [00:02:23] (40 seconds)


"The people justified in their mind that the time was not yet right. There were more important things to do. And from this verse, we see a fundamental truth when it comes to how we justify priorities in our lives. We can't fool God. He is omniscient and all-knowing. He knew what the people in Haggai's time were thinking. He knows what we are thinking even today to justify why we don't prioritize the things of God. It's like how we are today." [00:06:05] (38 seconds)


"Some of the people may have been thinking, God, why are You asking me to do Your work first when what I have compared to others is so small? Let those who have more do the work. I'll get around. Or put it another way, Lord, if I just make a little more money, I'll give it to You. Lord, if I just had more time from work, I will spend it on Your work. Lord, if only I had more equipping and had the right skills, I will help more in various church ministries." [00:14:09] (36 seconds)


"How often do we as Christians examine our lives, our thoughts, our attitudes, to see if they conform to God's leadings and priorities? In the Hebrew, this verb, give careful thought, is a command from God to the people. It was not an optional task to do, but a command. So the force of this verse... The verse says, stop what you are doing and examine to see if you put first things first and prioritize the spiritual things of God in your lives." [00:15:58] (34 seconds)


"Who knows if I begin the morning with five minutes in prayer that it saves me two hours of dealing with a problem God will already have taken care of? Who knows if 10 minutes of reading God's Word in the morning saves me five hours of having to deal with the problem that now God intervenes to deal with? Who knows if spending a Sunday morning at church serving the Lord will save me a week's worth of sleepless nights and headaches not having to deal with an issue that the Lord is dealing with?" [00:21:34] (38 seconds)


"In verse 12, we see that the people responded and obeyed what God had asked them to do. It was done immediately. To prioritize what God had asked them to do. And notice the last phrase in verse 12. And the people feared the presence of the Lord. They recognized that this command came from the omnipotent sovereign God, and they quickly reset their priorities because they respected, honored, and feared the Almighty God who made heaven and earth." [00:30:19] (33 seconds)


"Because of God's message to the people, to the prophet Haggai, in twenty-four days there was an entire revival in the land as the people responded. And in the most comforting of words, the loving God says to those who have prioritized His things, I am with you. My friends, when we have our priorities right and put the spiritual things of God first in our lives, we can be assured that God will be with us." [00:32:34] (33 seconds)


"My friends, may we all stop and reflect how we live our lives and make sure that God and His things have first place in our hearts and lives. First things first, God must be the priority of our lives." [00:36:19] (19 seconds)


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Transcript
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