FIRST

But seek FIRST the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you – Mathew 6:33

Beginnings compel us to define what is FIRST, foremost, fundamental, foundational, primary, top-priority or Number 1 per time in life. David sang, “ONE THING I have desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple” (Psa.27:4). To him, permanent and intimate Communion with God was crucial enough to be passionately pursued. Paul said: “…this ONE THING I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before” (Phil.3:13b). His Priority was “to PRESS toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (v.14), illustrating an ardent athlete, a focused runner with eyes set on the finishing tape. I call this “the Power of One” (Phil.3:13).

First things are foundational to other vital things on lower hierarchies of priority. That is, ‘first’ implies a list of items. It is often difficult in reality to isolate only one item among many. It is more practical to have few – say five – priority items at any point in time, which could then be placed in order of value. Anything beyond five may spell confusion! Priorities are options that are considered more important than others at a given time. They may relate to activities, desires, decisions, needs, or values. Prioritizing is the ranking of options in order of significance, akin to sharpening the ‘Arrow of Achievement’ prior to shooting it. It implies concentrating on and doing FEW things very well or concentrating on things you do best! It therefore enhances productivity, effectiveness and excellence.

Prioritizing prevents purposeless drifting: lack of well-established priorities will lead to drifting from one desire, decision, or activity to another, without tangible progress or a sense of purpose. Many people try to do far too many things with mediocrity rather than a few things with excellence. There is always the temptation to try to want to accomplish everything at once, especially when one is under pressures. This is unscriptural. Even God had a priority-activity for each day of creation. No wonder His products came out “very good” (Gen.1:31). Prioritizing ensures economic and optimal use of resources. Your priorities are reflected, more than anything else, by your budget of resources, especially time and treasures.

How then can you prioritize? The process of choice demands total dependence on God, as well as good judgement based on the knowledge of His Word and Will, and the knowledge, experience, practice, or training acquired in life. You must relate Priorities to Purpose, and recognize the relationships between options, by asking: “If I have to abandon everything else but ONE, what one thing would remain?” Keep asking that question until all options are ranked in a hierarchy. What’s your priority list like this year? Who or what is FIRST in your life? What will pre-occupy your time? The Scriptures enjoins us on what should be first: “Seek FIRST the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness…” (Mt.6:33). Nothing compares to living the fulfilling life of “Kingdom First”, subsumed in which are the Pillars of the Word, Worship, Prayer, Fellowship, and Service.