Priorities Archives - My Manna

Major on the majors!

My Manna — Sun, 31 Oct 2021 17:00:00 +0000

“Set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God…not on earthly things” (Colossians 3:1).

Once upon a time a loaf of bread fell from a bakery truck and as it hit the ground a crumb broke loose.

Three sparrows all eyed the crumb and swooped down to grab it, but began fighting over it.

Eventually one of the sparrows succeeded in scooping up the crumb in its beak and flew away with it—hotly pursued by the other two sparrows.

A frenzied aerial fracas took place until the crumb was completely consumed.
The only thing these sparrows saw was the crumb.
None noticed the loaf still on the ground.

How often we consume our energies squabbling over trivialities-
– while the true riches of life go unnoticed and escape us.

And how often we concentrate our energies on non-essential issues-
– while the needs of the hurting are neglected and the lost go to hell!

May God give you the wisdom to see and the good sense to-
– major on the majors and not get carried away majoring on the minors.

(PR)

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Spiritual Priorities

MyManna — Sun, 19 Mar 2017 22:00:15 +0000

“The blessing of the LORD, it makes rich, and He adds no sorrow with it.” Proverbs. 10:22.
Christians can become so addicted to money and to achieving a higher level of living-
– that they lose all perspective and forget what they are really here on earth to accomplish.
Those who live only for the pleasures of the moment stand under the condemnation of Paul’s words of 1 Timothy 5:6:
“She that lives in pleasure is dead while she lives.”
Many Christians have had the vitality taken from their spiritual life because of their great concern for the things of the world.
Their lives do not reflect the glorious difference that Christ can make when a believer focuses his attention on eternal values instead of temporal ones.
An important question that every family needs to face is-
– How much money do we need in order to live in the comfort we prescribe for ourselves?
We also need to ask-
– Have we set our standard of comfort too high?
Regrettably, many people have set their standard so high-
– that they have to spend so much time obtaining an income for that level of life that they really have no time to live.
How sad to spend so much time earning a living-
– that you do not have time to enjoy the living!
I am not referring to those who must work long hours just to keep the family fed and clothed.
I am referring to those who have become so addicted to the luxuries of life that they think the luxuries are essential.
Such an attitude greatly affects our spiritual priorities!

The post Spiritual Priorities appeared first on My Manna.

Vain Pursuit

MyManna — Sun, 23 Oct 2016 23:00:39 +0000

But God said to him, “Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?” So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.” Luke 12:16-21.
Alan Smith tells about a wrestler, Yussif, the Terrible Turk, “a 350-pound wrestling champion in Europe a couple of generations ago.
After he won the European championship, he sailed to the United States to wrestle the American champion, whose name was Strangler Lewis—a little fellow by comparison who weighed just a shade over 200 pounds.
Although he wasn’t very big, Strangler had a simple plan for defeating his opponents and it had never failed to work.
He’d put his massive arm around the neck of his opponent and cut off the oxygen.
Many an opponent had passed out in the ring with Strangler Lewis.
The problem when he fought Yussif the Turk was that Yussif didn’t have a neck.
His body went from his head to his massive shoulders.
Lewis could never get his hold and it wasn’t long that the Turk flipped Lewis to the mat and pinned him.
After winning the championship, the Turk demanded all five thousand dollars in gold.
After he wrapped the championship belt around his vast waist, he stuffed the gold into the belt, and boarded the next ship back to Europe.
He was a success!
He had captured America’s glory and her gold!
He set sail on the SS Bourgogne.
Halfway across the Atlantic, a storm struck and the ship began to sink.
Yussif went over the side with his gold still strapped around his body.
The added weight was too much for the Turk and he sank like an anvil before they could get him into a lifeboat.
He was never seen again.
“What a fool,” we say, but how many of us in reality spend so much of our lives investing in the pursuit of possessions and grasp onto them until our dying day?
As Jim Elliot said:
“He is no fool who gives up that which he cannot keep in order to gain that which he cannot lose.”

“Dear God, deliver me from the vain pursuit and grasping of material possessions, and help me to realize that my life does not consist in the abundance of things I possess, but in my love of, and in my service to You through serving others. Thank You for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’s name, Amen.”

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Blessing upon blessing!

MyManna — Sat, 02 Jul 2016 23:00:59 +0000

“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matthew 6:33).
Roger Babson, a famous statistician was having lunch with the President of Argentina.
“Mr. Babson,” the President said, “I have been wondering why it is that South America, with all its natural advantages, mines of iron, copper, coal and silver, rivers and great waterfalls is so far behind North America?”
Babson replied, “Well, Mr. President, what do you think is the reason?”
He answered:
“South America was founded by the Spanish who came in search of gold.
North America was founded by the Pilgrims who went there in search of God.”
If we live a life of seeking gold…the blessings of God but not God Himself…we end up losing both.
The Pilgrims came in search of God.
It is because of this that America has reaped blessing upon blessing!
We need to examine ourselves and be careful that-
– we are seeking God in all things,
– putting Him first and giving thanks to Him always.
Seek first the kingdom of God.
And He will surely provide from His riches in glory.

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Spiritual priorities!

MyManna — Sun, 01 May 2016 21:00:50 +0000

Christians can become so addicted to money and to achieving a higher level of living-
– that they lose all perspective and forget what they are really here on earth to accomplish.
Those who live only for the pleasures of the moment stand under the condemnation of Paul’s words of 1 Timothy 5:6:
“She that lives in pleasure is dead while she lives.”
Many Christians and preachers have had the vitality taken from their spiritual life because of their great concern for the things of the world.
Their lives do not reflect the glorious difference that Christ can make when a believer focuses his attention on eternal values instead of temporal ones.
An important question that every family needs to face is-
– How much money do we need in order to live in the comfort we prescribe for ourselves?
We also need to ask-
– Have we set our standard of comfort too high?
Regrettably, many people have set their standard so high-
– that they have to spend so much time obtaining an income for that level of life that they really have no time to live.
How sad to spend so much time-
– earning a living that you do not have time to enjoy the living!
I am not referring to those who must work long hours just to keep the family fed and clothed.
I am referring to those who have become so addicted to the luxuries of life that they think the luxuries are essential.
Such an attitude greatly affects our spiritual priorities!
Spiritual things are bound to suffer and to take second place to the things of the world.
It is important then that-
– we do some clear thinking about our attitude toward what this world has to offer.
Although some have the attitude that money is the answer to everything-
– James 5:1-6 reveals that this belief is certainly not true.

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What is it for you?

MyManna — Wed, 09 Mar 2016 16:00:04 +0000

Some years ago, three hundred whales were found marooned on a beach.
Scientists speculated that the whales had been chasing sardines and became trapped in shallow water when the tide went out.
By chasing little sardines-
– these gigantic creatures were ultimately led to their doom.
Many people waste their lives chasing sardines, so to speak.
They major on the minors and have no clear focus or objective in mind.
But God tells us what should be the primary goal of every Christian.
If we can get our priorities straight in this area, everything else will come together.
In fact, if we can get these two principles operative in our lives, then all the commandments of God will become a natural outflow of our commitment to Him.
What are these principles?
One, ” ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind'” (Matthew 22:37).
And two, ” ‘Love your neighbor as yourself'” (v 38).
When Jesus spoke these words-
He was identifying what should be the focus of every person.
Essentially, He was saying that love is the basis for all obedience.
If you really love God, then you will naturally want to do the things that please Him.
It has been said, “If you aim at nothing, you are bound to hit it.”
What is your highest priority in life?
What are your goals?
We all channel our energies, passions and thoughts toward something in life.
What is it for you?
(PR)

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Major on the majors!

MyManna — Mon, 16 Feb 2015 16:00:31 +0000

“Set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God…not on earthly things” (Colossians 3:1).
Once upon a time a loaf of bread fell from a bakery truck and as it hit the ground a crumb broke loose.
Three sparrows all eyed the crumb and swooped down to grab it, but began fighting over it.
Eventually one of the sparrows succeeded in scooping up the crumb in its beak and flew away with it—hotly pursued by the other two sparrows.
A frenzied aerial fracas took place until the crumb was completely consumed.
The only thing these sparrows saw was the crumb.
None noticed the loaf still on the ground.
How often we consume our energies squabbling over trivialities-
– while the true riches of life go unnoticed and escape us.
And how often we concentrate our energies on non-essential issues-
– while the needs of the hurting are neglected and the lost go to hell!
May God give you the wisdom to see and the good sense to-
– major on the majors and not get carried away majoring on the minors.
(PR)

The post Major on the majors! appeared first on My Manna.