First Things
Scripture Reading — Matthew 6:25-34
"Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." Matt. 6:33
Deep within each of us is a value system. It's all very organized and structured. Some things take first place in our hearts; some things are important to us but are secondary; some things are far down the list. Other things are carefully disqualified and never make the list at all. I have a list like that inside me, and so do you. It's not usually very visible at first glance; nor is it always consciously determined. But the choices we make eventually reveal it. I'm revealing this inner value system every time I make a purchase, or decide how to schedule my time, or select the words I use, or budget my finances, or select my friends, or decide how active I'll be in my church. We all make decisions on the basis of what takes priority in our internal value system. Jesus speaks about this in our reading for today, which is part of his well-known Sermon on the Mount. Some things in our life are first; others are second; others are less important. We will live best when we put God and his way of life at the top of our list. It's dangerous to set up our value system without much thought. It's an internal system, but it influences so much of what we do. All our decisions are shaped by inner values. Does your value system match what Christ desires?
Dear Lord, look inside me and examine the values I've adopted. Evaluate them and help me to see where I need to make changes to be more like you. For Jesus' sake, Amen.
About the author — Howard Vanderwell
Rev. Howard Vanderwell was involved in pastoral ministry in the Christian Reformed Church for 40 years, serving as a pastor in Iowa, Illinois, and Michigan. Upon retirement in 2002, he began his work at Calvin Seminary, where he helped train the ministers of the next generation. Howard and his wife, Eleanor, were married for 57 years and had three married sons and ten grandchildren.
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