Putting First Things First

"But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness." (Matthew 6:33)

Michael came running into the house in search of his dinosaurs. As he ran by me, I noticed blood dripping down his arm. His shirt and jeans were covered with spots of blood. I stopped his headlong flight. "Michael, here. For heaven’s sake, what did you do to yourself?"

He looked down at his arm and in total surprise said, "I don’t know, Mom, I wasn’t there."

After he’d been bandaged and had run outside again, I thought about his words. They were so typical of our son. He would get so totally engrossed in whatever he was doing that the rest of the world just went by without him.

But Michael isn’t the only one with that approach. Often I, too, fail to see what is going on around me when I’m so busy with what I’m doing. How easy it is to miss, or ignore, the feelings of others — the hurts, the fears, even the joys — because I’m wrapped up in my own interests. God could be shouting for my attention, and I wouldn’t be there.

Please slow me down, Lord, so I put first the things that should be first. Give me ears to hear and eyes to see the needs, the joys, the hopes and fears of those with whom I share this small portion of your world.

Beyond the Door
1. "First things first." It’s good advice. How do you decide what gets priority in our life?

2. What role do "to-do lists" play in your life? And how do you feel about that?

3. Are you happy or unhappy with how you organize things in your life and what gets done or thought about ... and what doesn’t? What might you do to make any needed changes?

4. Do you ever feel like Michael in the devotion —  that you weren’t there for something that took place in your life?

5. How might you be "more present" for the moment? For others in your life? For yourself? For your God?