What My Life Says is Most Important

I love Jesus.

I love to cook.

I love having people over.

So, I have quite a few dinner parties.

Over the holidays, I had two big dinner parties in my home; both being five-course “pairing” meals for 15-20 people.  Both were wonderful evenings because cooking for those I love makes big deposits in my love tank.  Planning, shopping, prepping, and cooking are great fun!  But there is always the same problem – the after-party clean-up!  After midnight each evening, as the party broke up, I stood looking at my kitchen:  80 plates, countless glasses, silverware for days, and, let’s not forget, the dishes on the stove!  I surveyed the damage and decided what couldn’t wait until morning, rolled up my sleeves and got started on the rest.

When I am deciding what part of any big project needs to be handled first, I am reminded of an old Dutch proverb, “What is heaviest must weigh heaviest.”  Simply said, what is most important to you is reflected in what you do first, what you do most often or what you give your best attention to.  Obviously, I love my china and crystal, because hand washing is always how I start.  My poor unloved pots and crusted casserole dishes!  I let them soak overnight and give them a promise for a solid scrubbing in the morning.

I look at my life much the same way.  Each January I re-evaluate what my life says I deem, “heaviest.”  It is the appropriate time of year, with one year ending and a brand new one beginning, to reflect and allow God to convict and correct my path.  As I re-evaluated what my mouth said was important versus what my life confirmed, I found discrepancies.  And, the discrepancies didn’t always please me.  So, I chose to make those discrepancies a matter of prayer.  I asked God to forgive my shortcomings.  I have forgiven myself, and moving forward, have made a plan to become more disciplined in the areas that are Heaviest in My Life.

TIME READING THE WORD.  (2 Timothy 2:15) Three years ago, my goal was to spend more time daily in the Word.  I can say that every year this goal gets met with greater effectiveness.  I love God’s word and I love reading it by myself and in community.  A number of years ago I was introduced to a Community Bible Reading App.  This past year, I invited sisters in Christ to join me on this daily Bible journey.  I have three text strings through GROUP ME, with 18 sisters in total reading and reflecting on God’s word every day.  It has been a beautiful experience and has made me even more hungry for the Word of God to be evident in my life.

TIME IN PRAYER.  (1 Chronicles 16:11)  I also value prayer.  Two years ago, I adopted a new prayer plan using index cards – I have a card for each person in my life.  On each card I have written a Bible verse and specific prayer requests for that person.  Daily, I read through the cards and pray for each person and events that arise.  This has dramatically helped my prayer life.  Recently though, I have become more aware of God’s presence during my prayer time.  Nothing dramatic happened, I just shifted my focus from my concerns to His glorious presence.  Game changer.

LOVE MY NEIGHBORS.  (Mark 12:30-31) Then there is an area that is not measuring up.  I say that I love my neighbors, and I truly do love the ones that are just like me, but what about the irritating ones down the street.  I have committed to being more involved with the people on my street – about 15 couples.  I have made three attempts, which is better than the year before – 0 attempts.  Last year I was unsure of their names ☹.  This year I am praying for each address and family as I get to know them.  I am also looking for ways to connect with them.  I don’t just want to be a light only through my blog or in my church, but also as a person in the world.

HONOR MY HUSBAND.  (Ephesians 5:33)  We have been married almost 33 years.  I say that I honor my husband, and I do, but this area could always use some tweaking.  I don’t want to just give lip service to “honor,” but rather I want to approach it with a glad heart.  I’m about 50% there.  Compared to the first ten years of my marriage, this is a drastic improvement 😊!  Now I am human, and I know that I am a sanctification work in progress, as are you, but if you want your marriage to reflect the Gospel, you need to look at your marriage as one of the heaviest things in your life.  Even God compares marriage to the relationship between Jesus and the church, so it must be weighty!  God does not compare the relationship between Jesus and the church to the Mother and child relationship.  This relationship cannot weigh heavier than your marriage.  Do not take your marriage for granted.  Pray for your spouse daily.  Wives, support your husband as he leads your family.  And if he doesn’t do this yet, pray for God to convict him, and for you to stay nice and quiet.

I am not sure what is heaviest in your life, but I know you know.  Spend a few moments reflecting what your life says that you value most, then spend some time asking God to help you make your priorities like His.

Thank you for reading, friends!  Stay washed in the Word!

“A stone is heavy and sand weighs a lot, but annoyance caused by a stubborn fool is heavier than both (Proverbs 27:3).”