How long is your to-do list right now? Sometimes mine feels endless, and I’m always shuffling things around, re-prioritizing, trying to get everything done and not let anyone down…and somehow find time for myself and my family amidst the madness!!
All of us spend a lot of our time trying to make life more manageable, and one of our default ways we manage our time is to compartmentalize our lives.
This is important.
That is not important.
This is a priority.
That is not…
We parcel out our time according to what matters most….And while it’s true we can’t get through life without making these on-the-fly decisions, sometimes we end up forgetting a simple truth: everything matters….Yes, everything!!
Sometimes we end up forgetting a simple truth: everything matters. Click To TweetHere’s how we know everything matters: Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” Did you catch that?? God is using EVERYTHING – every relationship you have, every painful experience you walk through, every opportunity you encounter, every job, every seminar, every moment!! – to accomplish his good purposes in your life. That means everything matters.
So check this out: in Matthew 10:29, Jesus says, “Not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.”  God notices the details of our daily lives…Every detail of every person matters to God. The Bible also says we will be called to account “for our works” and “every idle word” (Matthew 12:36, Romans 14:12). So even the words we speak and everything we spend time doing matters in the big picture.
Of course, the ultimate proof we have that everything matters to God is that he sent Jesus to redeem humanity and all of creation….All of it! God sent Jesus, who is infinitely valuable, for each of us and for the created world. And that means we also have infinite value to God! Talk about mattering!!
So since everything matters to God, including our minute-by-minute decisions…what does that mean for our everyday lives? Paul has an awesome answer for us in Philippians 1….he prayed for the Philippian church to “understand what really matters” because prioritizing the way God does helps us live in a way that brings him glory.
And according to Paul, the key to prioritizing the way God does is…love.
The key to prioritizing the way God does is love. Click To Tweet(Isn’t love always the answer)…??
But seriously, that’s it!! Paul said, “I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding. For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return” (Philippians 1:9-10).
So here’s the deal…if we devote ourselves to deepening our relationships with God, and ask him to fill us with His love – love for Himself, love for people, love for the things that move God’s own heart – everything else will fall into place. Our priorities get naturally re-organized into heaven’s priorities for us, when our motivation for every decision, every interaction, every situation…is love.
So let’s get out there and lead with love…and live what really matters.