THE priority
Im stunned how many times I hear people tell me their list of priorities in life.
The list typically goes something like this:
God, My family, my work, my health, and so on…
But there is something peculiar about this. The word priority itself indicates that you can’t have multiple. The word “priority” is a singular word so having multiple “priorities” actually negates the initial intent of the word. So, I must ask, if you can only have one; what is your priority?
God has a priority. His priority is on full display thought the 66 books of the Bible and his priority is richly dripping throughout the Gospel accounts of Jesus. His priority is simple, for us to find fulfillment and joy in worshiping him and worshiping him only. This priority is why the phrase “Victory Beyond Competition” resonates with me. We can experience victory beyond wins and losses because when we are aligned with God and his priority we are able to experience the fullness of joy that Jesus spoke of, 10 If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. (John 15:11).
God being our priority is the theme that permeates through the 10 Commandments. When God’s people were enslaved to a culture of idol worship and Godless practices there needed to be a reorienting of His people’s lives. The 10 Commandments are not about God wanting to control our lives or subdue us under a certain set of regulations, but they are absolutely ways in which we can regulate our relationship with God. What’s beautiful about the way Exodus 20 lays out the 10 Commandments isn’t necessarily found in the 10 Commandments themselves, the beauty is found in how God introduces the commandments and when we understand this concept, we can’t but help experience “Victory Beyond Competition”
Exodus 20 starts out, “1 And God spoke all these words: 2 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery….” (Exodus 20:1,2).
Two important thoughts from verse 2. “I am the Lord your God” and “who brought you out of Egypt…”
Lets take a look at why these are essential truths for us and how they have the potential to change the way we view God, the 10 Commandments, his standards and our relationship with HIm.
“I am the Lord your God”
In the ancient world, sharing your name with someone was an expression of intimacy in our culture its simply a label, for the Hebrews it was much deeper than that. It was an invitation to relationship. And that’s really important here. When he says “I am the Lord” he is sharing with His people (Through Moses) the most intimate thing about Him, his name “Yahweh”. He introduces himself by his name and not only does that invite others into relationship, his following words actually take us deeper into relationship. He doesn’t say, “I am God, the God.” He says, I am God, your God.” There’s that invitation to relationship again. And what God did for the Israelites almost four thousand years ago is what He’s still doing today. He’s still inviting each of us into a relationship with Him.
Think about this for a second. The God wants to be your God. It doesn’t matter if this is the first or five thousandth time hearing this, it is an incredible reality we need to come to grips with.
“Who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery”
After He tells the Israelites who He is, and before he tells them what He wants them to do, He tells them what He’s already done for them. He says, “I brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.” Pay attention to that: before God tells them what to do, He reminds them what He’s already done. This is so important because it sets the stage for how we’re supposed to think about God. So many people look at the 10 Commandments and think, “ok, so that’s what I have to do to be on God’s good side. That’s what I have to do to get into heaven. That’s what I have to do to get God to love me.” But God’s reminding them here that His love preceded His laws. And this is an important principle we see repeated throughout history: God’s commitment to us comes before His commandments for us.
So here we are once again with the question. What is your priority. Not what do you want your life to be about, but what is your priority?
Will your priority align with a proper response to God’s invitation of relationship and the reality that he has already acted on our behalf. Our opportunity is to elevate Him above all others things in our lives and doing this will allow us to experience “Victory” in and through all things.