April 14, 2016

Prioritize God

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”

-- Psalm 46:10

Our world has gotten so crazy. We’re always busy, running to catch up to a place that can never be our destination. Why? Because by the time we get there, it will have moved.

Yesterday I had a long conversation with a dear friend. We did it by texting. The conversation lasted over an hour, though we did have breaks. We could have talked and said the same things in 10 minutes. Or, at least, we could have once upon a time.

She has ALS. You’ve probably heard of it. The disease is sometimes called Lou Gehrig’s disease, after the baseball player. It is a cruel disease that manifests itself different ways with different people. In her case, she has lost the ability to speak and swallow food.

There is good in slowing down, in savoring a conversation with a dear friend. In cherishing the moments that one day won’t come. So why do we wait until life forces us to slow down to savor it?

I’ve been told by more than one cancer survivor that it ended up being the best thing that ever happened to them. Why? It reordered their priorities. It shined a bright light on what was really important and what was just stuff.

Why do we allow ourselves to get so caught up in all the activity of life that we miss what’s important? Maybe because it’s safer. It’s easier. Less messy. We don’t have to allow ourselves to be as vulnerable, even with the people we love. We don’t have to risk ourselves because we’re filled with excuses that occupy our time.

One dear lady -- a two-time lung cancer survivor -- told me her illness has made her less patient with the drama that surrounds so many people. She fills her life with people that matter, people who laugh, are trustworthy, and who have their priorities in order. She treasures those people and keeps a distance from those who drain her time and energy.

It all comes down to priorities. I wonder how many Christians really take time to quiet their minds and their lives to allow God access to their hearts. Be still, God tells us. Feel His power and His love. Just be still in His Presence. Make God your priority. It has a way of reordering your focus onto what really is important.