II Corinthians 8:5 (NKJV) 5 And not only as we had hoped, but they first gave themselves to the Lord, and then to us by the will of God.

II Corinthians 8:5

 We all have priorities in life  They are there whether we verbally state them or not  Our priorities are shown by the things we do in our everyday life  Perhaps even where we spend our money shows them as well

 Here are some of our top priorities: Family Work Education Sports Health

 These things may not be bad in and of themselves  However, should any of these be our top priorities in this life?  The Bible shows us what our top priorities in this life should really be, and they all pertain to God

 God’s word teaches us what our #1 love should be in this life  Again, loving our wife, our parents, our children and each other are all commands  However, not one of them should take the place of our #1 love

 Mark 12:28-33  Jesus here was asked about the first, or #1 command  He answered that we are to love God above all else, with all of our being  The scribe agreed with the words of Jesus here – there was no debate

 The question for us is, is God our #1 love?  Jesus said that He must be loved above our father, mother, wife, children, brothers, sisters, even ourselves (Lk. 14:26)  There are no close 2 nd ’s

 If God is my #1 love, it will show in the way I live my life  It will show in the way I speak  It will show in my Bible study, my prayer life, and my attendance  God is to be my top priority of devotion in this life

 What about our #1 goal?  For some it’s starting and raising a family  For others it might be achieving some success in the business world  Perhaps it’s retirement or even to win a certain award or prize

 Jesus said that our #1 goal should be about the kingdom of God  “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matt. 6:33)  This is our top priority of ambition

 Kingdom work is the most important work we can do on this earth  It can be done no matter where we are and who we are with  Sometimes it’s simply a matter of letting our lights shine before others (Matt. 5:16)

 Before I set a goal to raise my family or be successful in business, I should set a goal to seek God’s kingdom first in my life  Setting this goal can lead to my other goals being achieved  Remember, God has attached a promise to this as well

 What about my #1 job?  Is it to provide for my family or make sure others around me are provided with a certain product to make their lives easier?  Paul mentions another first in his first letter to the young preacher Timothy

 I Timothy 2:1-2  Paul tells Timothy that his #1 job would be that he makes supplications, prayers, intercessions and giving of thanks for all men  Prayer means that we are putting God first in our kingdom work

 Prayer shows that we are not depending on ourselves, but rather on God  Doing God’s work without asking for His help and blessings may not profit us much  Praying for others is something we can all do

 Paul also mentions leading a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence  This should be a part of our job as a Christian  This will set an example for others and also help that our prayers be not hindered