Session 2

Are our priorities in the right place?

From Win at Home: A 14-Day Devotional

There are two great indicators about where someone’s priorities lie: their schedule and their budget. Money and time are both finite resources, so where we spend them says a lot about what matters to us.

When we make a budget, we’re doing more than setting aside money to pay bills. We’re deciding what matters to our families and designating our money accordingly. This why Jesus tells us to pay attention to where we spend our money. Because where our treasure is, there our hearts will be also (Matthew 6:21).

God gives us everything we need to do what He’s put in our hearts to do. When we say, “I can’t afford to,” often what we mean is, “I haven’t prioritized that.” But if we’ll align our budget with His plans for our lives, we’ll find we always have enough (Matthew 6:31-34).

The same is true of our time. We will run ourselves ragged saying yes take every opportunity that comes our way. God doesn’t want that for us (Matthew 11:28-30).

If you fill a bowl with sand then try to cram in a few big rocks, it won’t all fit. But, if you add put the big rocks in first then pour the sand on top, the sand will fill in the cracks and suddenly, everything fits.

In the same way, when we schedule the things God tells us are important first, and then fill the gaps, we’ll be surprised by how full our lives can be.

Romans 12:1-2 says, “Take your everyday, ordinary life — your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life — and place it before God as an offering... Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking” (MSG).

When we align our priorities with God’s, our lives will look different. And that’s a good thing! It means our priorities are aligned with our heavenly Father’s priorities, and our lives are pointing people to Him.

• Are you satisfied with how you are currently prioritizing your life? Why or why not?
• What’s a step you can take today to better align your time and money with God’s plan for your life?