Are 1st Things 1st?

Are 1st Things 1st
The New Year is a time of renewing, reevaluating, and reprioritizing. It is a time to start over again. But if you are like me, the best intentions for a new exercise regimen or a new improved devotional plan seem to fade as quickly as they are made.
So we looked at possible causes for failure, then found out “HTBAEB”
Today were going to look at six symptoms of a life that's out of balance. You see here's the deal, if your life is crazy out of whack, that impedes your witness. People look at your life and wonder if Christianity is real and that's a lifestyle controlled by God, I'm not sure I want that!

How many of you remember the story of Abraham & Lot? Gen. 13-19

Gen. 19:14 So Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who were pledged to marry his daughters. He said, "Hurry and get out of this place, because the LORD is about to destroy the city!" But his sons-in-law thought he was joking.

Lot had lived so long and so contented among ungodly people that his life reflected as one of chaos and he was not a believable witness for God.
If our lives are out of whack - we become like Lot.

So to help you evaluate your life, I want to share with you a little test that will help keep us headed in the right direction. I'm going to give you six symptoms of a life that's out of balance, and you can determine whether you identify a lot or a little with each one. By the end of the test, you'll have a good feel for whether or not you're on track.

Symptom #1: Busyness.
People who are busy are always in a hurry. Time is their enemy because they never seem to have enough of it. Are you always running out the door, arriving just in time or a little late? Is your desk or house a mess? Is your car dirty? Is it because you just don't have time?


Don't get caught in the activity trap. Remember, it's not how much you do that's important, but whether you're accomplishing the things that are really important.

“For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” Matthew 11:30




Symptom #2:Stress. Burnout
Do you often feel pressure and anxiety? Do you have trouble sleeping or waking up? Are you frequently uneasy, restless, indecisive, unhappy, irritable, or worn out? Do you lack connectedness in relationships and keep conversations at a superficial level? Do you feel hopelessly overwhelmed?

Richard Swenson, a medical doctor, wrote a book in which he disusses one of the major maladies of our time - anxiety & stress. He calls it "overload," & says that people are just plain overloaded.

1. We’re overloaded with commitments. We’ve committed ourselves to go here & there, to take part in this activity & that social function. As a result we soon begin meeting ourselves coming & going because we have overloaded ourselves in the area of commitments.

2. We’re also overloaded with possessions, he says. Our closets are full, & our garages are overflowing. We’ve gone into debt to pay for all of these things that we "simply must have." And now we’re so afraid that someone will steal them. We are overloaded in the area of possessions.

3. Thirdly, we have an overload in the area of work. We get up early, fight traffic, & experience intolerable working conditions because we have to if we’re going to pay for all those possessions that we’ve accumulated.

4. There is also an information overload. He said that as a doctor he has to read 220 articles a month just to keep up with all the changes in his profession. And now with the internet there’s an information superhighway. But the problem is that we can’t possibly absorb it all. So we feel an overload in this area, too.

Those symptoms of emotional stress are all indicators that you're doing a whole lot more than God designed you to do or that you're doing it in the wrong way.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Philip. 4:6 (NIV)



Symptom #3: Low Grade Nagging Guilt.
Do you feel guilty because you're not accomplishing everything you think you should? Have you stopped liking yourself? Do you feel like you don't measure up?

Nagging guilt indicates that something is wrong.


let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.
Hebrews 10:22 (NIV)

Symptom #4: Mounting Financial Problems:
Are you spending money you don't have? Are you going out to eat because you're too tired to cook? Are you shopping because you want to feel better? Are you working harder and longer but still can't keep up with the bills? Have you stopped giving to God because you just can't afford it? Do you seem to have a hole in your checkbook?
God may be using your financial struggles to get your attention.

The wise man saves for the future, but the foolish man spends whatever he gets. Proverbs 21:20 (Living)

Stay away from the love of money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, "I will never, never fail you nor forsake you." Hebrews 13:5 (Living)

I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of contentment in every situation, whether it be a full stomach or hunger, plenty or want; Philip. 4:12 (Living)


Symptom #5: Spiritual Leakage.
How is your devotional life? Have you set aside quality time for God, or are you running out the door in the morning and crawling into bed exhausted at night with hardly a thought drifting God's way? If you treated a friend or a spouse the way you treat God, how good would your relationship be?

Here's a funny letter to a Pastor from a member:

Dear Pastor:

You often stress attendance at worship as being very important for a Christian, but I think a person has a right to miss now and then. I think every person ought to be excused for the following reasons and the number of times indicated.

Christmas Holidays (the Sunday before & after) 2
New Years (the party lasted too long) 1
Easter (get away for the holidays) 2
July 4th (national holidays) 1
Labor Day (need to get away) 2
Memorial Day (visit hometown folk) 1
School closing (kids need a break) 1
School reopens (one last fling) 1
Family reunions (mine & wife’s) 3
Sleep late (stayed up too long Saturday night) 9
Deaths in family 2
Anniversary (second honeymoon) 1
Sickness (one per family member) 5
Business trip (a must) 1
Vacation (three to four weeks) 6
Bad weather (ice, snow, rain, clouds) 2
Ball games 2
Races 2
Unexpected company (can’t walk out) 2
Time changes (spring & fall) 2
Special on TV (superbowl, etc) 3

Pastor, that leaves two Sundays per year. So, you can count on us to be in church on the 4th Sunday in February and the 3rd Sunday in August unless we are providentially hindered.
Sincerely,
A Faithful Member

The amount of time spent with the Lord in prayer is one of the greatest indicators of where your heart is with God.


I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. John 15:5 (NKJV)

Symptom #6: Escapism Behavior. Do you sit down and mindlessly watch television for hours even if there's nothing in particular you want to watch? Do you grab something from the refrigerator, even if you're not hungry? Do you go shopping even when there's nothing you need? If you're doing any activity just to turn your mind off or get away from the pressures of life, you're practicing escapism behavior. Your life is out of balance.

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. John 14:27 (NIV)




So how did you do? If you're like me, you probably didn't score as well as you would have liked on that test. Keeping priorities in line isn't easy, and as I thought about those questions, I realized that even now my life isn't exactly where I would like it to be.
But be encouraged-everybody's priorities are constantly in flux. I don't know anybody who has their priorities perfectly together and everything in line. But wherever you are right now, you can determine in your heart that you're going to take a step in the right direction.
Paul says in 1 Corinthians 9:25 that “everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training.” It's a process. You're not going to run a marathon the first time you put on your running shoes. But if you want to run a marathon, you have to start running.
So if your life doesn't have the balance you desire right now, let me encourage you to do two things.
First, commit yourself to taking control of your time,
because you can't control your priorities until you control your time.

“So be careful how you live. Live as men who are wise and not foolish.
Make the best use of your time...” Ephesians 5:15-16

And second, commit to giving your first and best time to God.
Even if you're not a morning person, I'd encourage you to start your day with God. If you give God the first minutes, He can transform the rest of your day through His Spirit, Who will help you discern when to say yes and when to say no.
Then also give Him your best time.
What time of the day or evening are you functioning at your best?
Whatever that is, block some of that time to talk with God, get into His Word...
Spend some of your best time with God.
And before you know it, you'll experience the peace and power of a prioritized life.

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Matthew 6:33

Take the TEST:

ARE 1st THINGS 1st
"Consider your ways!" Haggai 1:5TEXT: GENESIS 19:14

Six Symptoms of Misplaced Priorities

1.___________________________________________
How to know: People who love you are saying "slow down" (1 point). You feel held hostage by time; your clock has become the enemy
(2 points). Your kids are clinging to your leg right now (2 points).

“For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” Matthew 11:30

2.___________________________________________
How to know: You are uptight, experiencing chest pains, having trouble sleeping (2 points). You are restless, uneasy (2 points). It's hard to make decisions (1 point). You're not very happy (3 points). You have a feeling of being totally worn out (4 points).

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Philippians 4:6

3.___________________________________________
How to know: You feel bad about yourself, unfulfilled. There are a lot
of things you know are important (that you even tell others to do), that you're not doing. It's getting to you, robbing you of peace, and you're feeling like a hypocrite (5 points).

“let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.” Hebrews 10:22

4.___________________________________________
How to know: Money's tight for you. Credit card bills are piling up, and debt continues to rise (5 points). There always seems to be too much "month" left at the end of the money (3 points). A budget, to you, is a "good idea," not something you're practicing right now (3 points). You're doing research on the difference between Chapter Eleven and Chapter Thirteen (8 points). You're not giving your first portion to the Lord, and you can't see any way in the world to do it? which adds to your guilt
(5 points).

“Stay away from the love of money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, "I will never, never fail you nor forsake you." Hebrews 13:5
5. ___________________________________________
How to know: Your prayers consist mostly of quick, one-sided conversations in the shower or the car (5 points). You pray mostly with others, but not much alone (4 points). You don't feel close to God (3 points), you feel like you're on a spiritual roller coaster (3 points). Your Bible reading is hit and miss - more miss than hit (5 points). You feel like you're drifting spiritually, but can't find time to turn things around (5 points).
“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” John 15:5

6.___________________________________________
How to know: You find yourself finding ways to "get away," not to relax, but to escape responsibility. You're developing habits of impulse buying (2 points), thrill seeking (1 point), purposeless driving (1 point), lots of eating out (3 points), excessive television (4 points). You recently took a vacation you couldn't afford, just because you couldn't "take it" anymore (7 points).
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”
John 14:27
Scoring: Add your total from each category:
Excessive Busyness _______________________
Stress/Burnout __________________________
Low Grade/Nagging Guilt __________________
Mounting Financial Pressure ________________
Spiritual Leakage ________________________
Escapism Behavior ________________________
0-3 points Congratulations! You should teach a seminar.
6-15 points You're off to a good start, with only some minor corrections to make.
16-30 points It's time to make some major changes in your life. Get ready!
31-50 points The trends in your life have you headed for disaster, and you need to make radical changes.
51 + points Danger Zone! Do not proceed without getting immediate help.
As you can see, misplaced priorities can be destructive in multiple areas of our lives. Symptoms that may seem "temporary" concessions on the front end, appearing as minor aberrations, are the gateways to disaster. But don't be discouraged! God has given us clear directives on how to find genuine peace, fulfillment and productivity in our lives.

Two Commitments to Regain Balance

1. ___________________________________________
“So be careful how you live. Live as men who are wise and not foolish.
Make the best use of your time...” Ephesians 5:15-16

2. ___________________________________________
“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Matthew 6:33