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Written by Erica Peck Dexter, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Searcy, AR
Have you ever given much thought to what your priorities are? Really though. Not just a passing thought of I value God, my family, and friends and then move on to the next thing. What is a priority for you?
Many years ago, I was feeling torn in many directions between work, spending time with my family, and university classes as a non-traditional student. I remember specifically asking God to help me put my priorities in order. Guess what happened? He did. About a month later, I was on my knees, and, without realizing it, I had just said, “Thank you, Lord, for helping me put my priorities in order.” My exact words. I paused and realized, “Whoa, He’s given me exactly what I’ve been asking about!” I smiled and thanked Him again. As I reflected, I could see that in every area of my life He had made things clearer, easier to sort through and prioritize what was most important.
Do you know where we can look to see good priorities in action? Who remembers Abigail from 1 Samuel 25? At this time, David and his servants were living on Nabal’s land, helping to care for the sheep and cattle, had treated Nabal’s servants well, not stolen anything, and had been, in general, really nice guys. They now go to Nabal at a festive time to ask for his blessing and see if he can “give them whatever he can find for them” (vs. 8). Abigail’s husband, Nabal, whose name means “fool, failure” receives David’s servants with a hostile, ugly attitude and sends them away with nothing. When David’s servants returned to tell David how they have been treated, he is, of course, furious. So much so that he says, “I will not leave one male alive belonging to Nabal by morning” (vs.22).
Here is where priorities come in: A servant runs to tell Abigail the news that David is furious, and ask what are we going to do?! Verse 18 says, “Abigail lost no time.” She literally gets cooking, preparing mounds of food and gifts for David and his servants in hopes of quelling his anger and the eminent battle that will take place if nothing is done. In the end, David accepts her gifts, and says to her, “May you be blessed for your good judgement and for keeping me from bloodshed this day” (vs. 33). Wow! She lost no time in acting on that decision, making it a priority. And she was blessed for it.
What priorities are you choosing? I encourage you to be like Abigail and lose no time in doing what the LORD has called you to do. Start today. Take courage and take His hand. You will be blessed.
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by Michelle J. Goff
Six specific times in His teaching, Jesus explains what it takes to be His disciple. The first three are found in Luke 14. The last three are found in John.
1. Jesus must be my number 1 priority. Period.
Luke 14:26, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.”
2. I have to die to myself daily.
Luke 14:27, “Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.”
3. Everything I have is God’s. I am merely a steward of what He has loaned me while on earth.
Luke 14:33, “So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.”
28For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? 29 Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, 30 saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ 31 Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32 And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace.
Have I left my discipleship tower half-built? Am I following through with the initial commitment I made to Christ when I was baptized?
Let’s look at the other three explanations Jesus gave for how others will know we are His disciples.
4. Hold to His teaching and abide in His word.
John 8:31-32, “To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, ‘If you hold to my teaching, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’”
5. Love one another.
John 13:34-35, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
6. Bear fruit—be a disciple-making disciple.
John 15:8, “This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.”
When we simply look at this list of six characteristics, we may feel good about how we are loving others and doing our daily Bible reading. However, upon further inspection, we are cut to the heart and convicted to realize that we are not a good example of a disciple.
The Lord’s mercies are new every morning and His grace is great, but they are not provided as permission to neglect what it truly means to be a disciple.
What is a specific way you can make one of these characteristics a priority today? How can you encourage another Iron Rose Sister to live this out as she encourages you to be a faithful disciple of Christ?