FROM THE EDITOR
What Are Your Priorities?
The Biblical account of Jesus and the lawyer depicts the most concise summary of the entire Bible. In terms of humankind's duty to the Creator and fellow brothers and sisters, it is the distilled essence of what it means to be a Christian.
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f you're looking for a philosophy of life and how to order your priorities, look no further. It is all summarized in this one passage:“‘Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?’ And He [Jesus] said to him [the lawyer], ‘“YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.” This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, “YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOUR AS YOURSELF.” On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets’” (Matthew 22:36–40, NASB). This passage has stood out lately because I have been going through a reassessment of my life priorities—an audit, you might say, of where I stand with God and man (and woman). Moreover, like any assessment or
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Alberta Adventist News
audit, one inevitably starts by asking probing and uncomfortable questions, some of which include:
1. God 2. Others 3. Self
Put yourself last and always put others before yourself. For the most part, that is how I’ve tried to live. The problem is it is not God’s order. Consequently, I have felt like I was frequently running behind during a considerable portion of my life. Through high school What kind of priorities and my early college days, I would be best for my life? always put others first in As I’m sure most of you the form of work and job. I can relate, the importance did my job. I worked late, of putting God first and sometimes even past the foremost in one’s life is hours I had set aside to study. pretty straightforward (see vs. Why? So I could be 37–38). The second command “responsible.” So I could put here is equally clear (see v. 39). others first and myself last. I didn't realize that mixing After all, it was others that up the order of the last needed some job done. I two priorities could create placed my job (i.e., homework, dysfunction in one's life. rest or exercise, eating I learned, growing healthfully, spending time up, my priorities should with family) in last place. be in this order: As I have reflected on the
• What have been the priorities of my life? • Are they the best priorities I can have? • What does God have to say about them? • In what order should they be?
MARCH 2021
