"Priorities"

Jesus knew people allowed things to take place over God. He warned about what you treasure, value, deem as most important will be where your heart attaches itself to (Matt. 6:19-21). Just listen to what people normally engage in their talk and it will reveal what they love most. "But the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man." (Matt. 15:18) Whatever you love, your heart will go that direction and it will be a priority in your life.

A teacher was trying to illustrate to his students something they would never forget. He used a one gallon, wide-mouthed Mason jar and sat it on the table in front of them. He put twelve fist-sized rocks carefully into the jar. When the jar was filled, he asked, "Is the jar full?" Everyone in the class said, "Yes!" Then he proceeded pulling out a small bucket of gravel and dumped it into the jar, shaking it so the pieces of gravel would work themselves down into the spaces between the rocks. He asked, "Is the jar full?" The students said, "Probably not because there is empty space inside still." The teacher brought out a small bucket of sand and started dumping it into the jar. It went into all the places left between the rocks and gravel. He asked again, "Is it full?" The students weren't sure. The teacher took a pitcher of water and began pouring it into the jar until it was filled to the brim. He asked once more, "Is the jar full?" All the students agreed and they were correct. Then came the question, "What is the point of this illustration?" One student spoke out that no matter how full your schedule is, you can always fit more in it! The teacher said that's not the point. The teacher proceeded to ask them if he had done all this in the reverse order, starting with the water, what would have happened? Several answers were given but then came the explanation: "The truth of all of this is if you don't put the big rocks in first, you will never get them in at all!" It was a lesson on priorities.

That is what Jesus was warning about the heart and what we value. If we allow our lives to be filled with the wrong things, the beneficial and eternal things will never fit. The result will be lives without the most important part.

Our needs will be met in Jesus, that's His promise. Yet so many run around fretting over this and that, thinking if they don't sacrifice for those needs, it will never happen. What they end up sacrificing are spiritual things to maintain the physical. Listen carefully to Jesus' words, "For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." (Matt. 6:32-33) It's all about priorities to God!