Ask any Christian what their top three priorities in life are and you’ll almost always get the same answer. First, God. Second, family. Third, well, that’s where it get’s fuzzy. Might be work. Might be school. Might be a sport or hobby. In any case, one and two are always the same, and three is always something universally accepted as less somehow. It’s always the same, no matter who you ask because we know that if we’re going to be good little Christians we have to say that. We’ve been conditioned to say it whether it happens to be true or not.

Of course God is first! How could He not be?! And even if He wasn’t there’s no way any of us would dare admit that. Imagine the scandal! Imagine the lightning bolt that would surely come down from heaven to strike such a ne’er-do-well!

And of course family is second! How could they not be?! Only a cretin would admit to putting something other than God in front of family! I mean, family’s what it’s all about, right?  Nobody ever questions 1 or 2…

But then there’s that third thing. You know, the one that takes up the most time. The one that you feel most passionate about, that you talk about the most. The one you’ll literally study so you can improve at—and we all know how much fun studying is! The one that you’ll sneak off to whenever you get the chance. That you’re willing to make sacrifices to… er, I mean, for. Ahhh, yes, THAT thing. The one you know inside and out, backwards and forwards. The one that keeps you from sleeping. The one that is never an intrusion, but that life intrudes upon. That thing…

What were those priorities again?

Just a little food for thought.  Tommy Bowden, who inspired this little piece asks a couple questions I thought were helpful when considering the issue of your ‘first’ priority:

• How would anyone know you’re committed to it?
• How do you know in your heart that you’re dedicated to it?
• What’s different about the way you order your day and week because of it?
• How much of a time commitment do you give to [it]?