Priorities

Priorities, we all have them. For one reason or another, we elevate things over other things and make them our priority. We determine importance of a thing and make our decisions based on the value we place on it. Our family, our homes, our cars, our clothing and our activities, each ranked in our priorities. Most important to least important.  
In Haggai 1:1-11, we are told that the people of Israel had overcome all the obstacles that were impeding the completion of the temple. All obstacles except themselves. They had the resources and their neighbors had been ordered to leave them alone by their king, so now it would be smooth sailing, right? Wrong. The people were too busy thinking about their homes and what they would eat to think about the house of God.
This is what the LORD Almighty says: “These people say, ‘The time has not yet come to rebuild the LORD’s house.’” (Haggai 1: 2)
They were too busy! They came back from exile with the intent to restore and rebuild the temple, but the pursuits of life had replaced the priority of building God's house and replaced it with building homes of their own. They were busy planting fields, working their jobs and eating and drinking and having fun. They were busy living life. They were too busy to take care of what was supposed to be their top priority.
Then the word of the LORD came through the prophet Haggai: ⁴ “Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?” (1:3)
God let them know that He was not pleased that His home was in ruins while they lived in their nice, warm, completed homes. He tells them that he had removed His blessing from them and that they would not be satisfied with anything in their lives.
Now this is what the LORD Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways. You have planted much, but harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it.” (1:5,6)
God had been shoved out of first place in their lives and anything they tried to replace him with was insufficient. All their pursuits of this life came up short and they were left wanting.
I have heard it said that each person has a hole in their hearts that is shaped just like Jesus and only He can fill it. I believe that is symbolically true. We run around trying to find fulfillment in this life in our careers, our families, our activities and our possessions only to find that at the end of the day, we are left unfulfilled. Nothing can take the place of God.
Are we to work? Absolutely, but the minute our work supplants God in our lives it is wrong. Are we to have family? For sure, but the minute our families take first place in our lives, our priorities are mixed up. Are we to have activities? No doubt, life would be dull without participating in it. But when our activities crowd out our time with the Father, we are too active. And possessions, are we to have stuff? Yes, God gives us blessings and expects us to be stewards of the gifts he places in our lives. He expects us to use them in His service. The minute our possessions possess us, we must turn them back over to Him.
We all have priorities in this life, and we should. The problem comes when we place people or things above God. He demands to be number one in our lives and rightly so. After they were warned, the Israelites returned to work on the temple and in about 4 short years it was completed. If we are struggling with our priorities, we must confront whatever has usurped Gods place at the top and place Him back where He belongs.
Just like the Israelites, we can get so busy with our lives and our personal pursuits that God is squeezed out and our desires take His place. Are you struggling with church attendance? God is not your top priority. Are you too busy to serve others in their time of need? God is not your top priority. Are your finances so tight that you have no money to give to help meet needs or support the spread of the good news of Jesus? God is not your top priority. May each of us take a moment to really examine where God ranks on our list of what is important. If He has slipped from the top spot, may we repent and determine to place Him back on the throne of our lives. Blessings.