Top Priority
In my introductory ministry class, we learn how to distinguish when we are actually called to ministry. One way we can recognize a call is that we absolutely cannot stop thinking about it. When is the last time I thought about ministry? The answer at any given moment would probably be within the last hour. But this morning I was reminded that my first and foremost call is to be a follower of Christ, and if this isn’t consuming my thought life more than ministry is, that’s a problem.
Matthew 6:21 says, “Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.” If my thoughts most frequently hover on what God is doing in my church, though my ministry, in my heart, my treasure isn’t Jesus - it’s me. It’s great to be concerned over those things, but when those thoughts consume more of our time than our thoughts just reflecting on Jesus, that’s idolatry. And if it weren’t for what Christ has already accomplished, no ministry I could ever do would even matter.
I am thankful for the Easter holiday, not just for the significance of what happened this weekend, but because it is an opportunity to realign my focus. Sometimes I can get so caught up in the work God is doing in and through my life now that I forget about the work Christ already did on the cross.
A great technique I use to check the spiritual temperature of my heart is to ask myself how I feel about eternity. If I look at my years in this life as my peak, I’ve missed the point. If I start to think I might get bored in heaven worshipping Jesus 24/7, I’m not getting it. Everything I do here on this earth pales in comparison to what Christ has done and what it will be like to stand in His presence for all eternity.
