A Change In Priorities
We all have a list of priorities. They are seldom put in writing and placed on the refrigerator, but we all have them stored away somewhere in the recesses of our consciousness. When given a choice between two options, our list of priorities kicks in and we choose the one highest on the list. This is true with our time and our treasures.
If your child has a ball game and you also have an opportunity to go play golf with your best friends, which you choose will demonstrate your priorities. If you had to choose between helping your child with their college expenses or buying a new car, your pre-set priorities will determine which choice you make. And, likewise, when given the choice between deploying your material resources for Kingdom purposes or buying a bigger home or the latest luxury car, your priorities will determine your choice.
We recently were hired by a younger couple who had done extremely well professionally and financially. The husband and wife came from nothing and as their businesses grew and their income skyrocketed, so did their lifestyle. They found themselves with an extravagant home, the newest and most expensive vehicles, and all the toys and trappings of a family who had “made it.”
But something happened to this couple along the way. God began to burden them with the call of the great commission and the need to get the gospel out while there was still time – before Jesus’ return. And quite apart from any influence by me, the husband had already made the decision that he wanted to become one of the greatest Christian philanthropists in history. In order to do this, they have already begun to cut their lifestyle consumption by multiples in order to have more available to deploy for Kingdom work. They are selling their “mansion” and moving into a modest home. They are buying cheaper used cars and intend to drive them until they cannot be driven anymore. His goal now is to build as many businesses as he can and grow them as much as he can so he can give as much as possible to the Kingdom during the rest of his life. Talk about a change in priorities!
For a man to choose to “live on less” it will require a radical reordering of existing priorities and these newly reordered priorities likely will reveal to him that there is much “more to live for.”
Call to Action:
As men and women of Issachar, we should all be challenged to:
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Broaden our perspective by recognizing that there are still 4,000 languages without the Scriptures, 3,000 people groups without a missionary, over 1 million villages without a single church and 3.5 billion Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus and Secularists without Christ,
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Sharpen our priorities to include Kingdom investments that Extend the reach of the Church to those who have never heard, recognizing that 99.7% of our evangelical giving goes to build and maintain the existing Church, and only .3% goes to fund work where the church is Not, and
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Take to heart our Lord’s final command, and make as part of our purpose and calling to “go and make disciples of all nations.”
Praying that each of us as marketplace and ministry leaders will make our lives count for ZERO!”
Written by Jay Link
