What do you value?

The law of the Lord is perfect;

The decrees of the Lord are trustworthy;

The commandments of the Lord are right;

The commands of the Lord are clear;

Reverence for the Lord is pure;

The laws of the Lord are true;

They are more desirable than gold . . .

 

Psalm 19, verses 7-10, provides a list of what we should value. His law. His decrees. Reverence of Him. These, says the Psalmist, are more desirable than gold. We should want them above all else.

What do we value?

How do you determine what is valuable? Review where your money went this past month. Look over your calendar and see what was important enough to write down. Think about how you spent your time yesterday, last week, last month. Those are what you value.

Did you find God? In your bank statement. In your calendar. In your daily itinerary. Was He there? Was He prominent, or did you have to look hard to find Him? Was He more desirable than gold?

He should be.

If we believe what the Bible says, God should be above all else. Not only in authority, which He is, but in what we desire. If you want something, you go after it. You invest your resources, expend your energy, and focus your attention to get what you want. Think about it. What have you been seeking?

My wife. My children. My job. Those three take a tremendous amount of my time and energy. That is not bad. Those are responsibilities God has given me. I serve Him by serving them. But what do I do with the rest of my life?

Distractions are everywhere!

I can occupy my time, spend my money, and use my energy any way I choose. The world is full of opportunity for me to be entertained, fulfilled, and satisfied. I can eat, drink, and be merry. Whatever I want, it is out there. All I have to do is go get it. So, what do I want? More importantly, what should I want?

According to the Psalmist, and many other Scriptures, I should desire God above all else. More than gold. More than entertainment. More than happiness, I should seek God. If I want to be satisfied, truly and completely satisfied, there is only one way. God.

The world would have us believe something else. The right house, the right car, the right job, the right boyfriend-girlfriend-husband-wife, the right stuff will satisfy us. Pursue that lie, and your life will be empty.

Be intentional.

If you truly consider God more valuable than all else, you will seek after Him. It will cost you, but you will gain more than you could ever hope or imagine. Give up that television show and read your Bible. Get off social media for thirty minutes and pray. Give to the needy instead of buying that new car. I don't know what distracts you from Him, because we are all different. But we all need to give up something.

I have to be intentional with my time. If I do not set aside time in my day for the purpose of being with God through His Word, prayer, and meditation, it won't happen. The world sucks up every minute of my life if I allow it. I have to be intentional.

What about you?

Where does God rank in what you value? Share your thoughts, and tell us how you put God first. Your advice just might change someone's life.