Happy Monday!
Let’s begin with an appropriate word-of-the-week…
PRIORITIZE
I watched a big chunk of Whitney Houston’s memorial service this weekend. I can’t escape the haunting sense of enormous waste.
After the songs and stories, Pastor Marvin Winans captured my thoughts with the theme of his powerful, emotional sermon: prioritize. He talked about “putting things in proper order” based on Matthew 6:33:
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
The message was clear. Success, talent, and fame are good things—when placed in proper priority. It’s too easy to judge the missteps of a public figure who got lost in a confusing maze. Better, I think, to extend grace and pray that the rest of us will reflect on our own tendency to get things in the wrong order.
Jesus knew that God wants us to use our gifts and pursue our passions. He designed us for lives of abundance and joy. He also knew that life gets out of whack when we don’t prioritize.
Have a great week.