(10) Perfect Priorities

Jesus set the example of perfect humanity in his priorities & values. Jesus had some seriously focused priorities and values. So much so that He forgot about eating because He was involved in ministry! When Jesus fed the multitude of five thousand men plus women and children it was because the disciples came to Him in the middle of ministry and told Him they needed food. When He fed the four thousand, they had gone three days without food. This was not because Jesus was some super human who didn’t need food. He explained this to the disciples, “Meanwhile the disciples were urging Him, saying, "Rabbi, eat." 32But He said to them, "I have food to eat that you do not know about." (John 4:31-32 NAU). William MacDonald comments, “The Lord Jesus had found food and support in winning worshipers to His Father. Compared to this joy, physical nourishment was of little importance to Him.”

That’s what it looks like to be perfectly human! You are so passionate about serving the purposes of God that you forget to eat. Your values and priorities are focused with laser-like precision on the values and priorities of advancing God’s kingdom.

Want to be perfectly human? Stop living like the average human! Stop getting distracted and diverted to living for anything other than the kingdom of God. Get focused on Christ. Remember how Paul expressed it? “One thing I do!” “For me to live is Christ.” “Christ who is your life.”

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. (Colossians 3:1-3 NIV)

If we are going to be like Christ; if we are going to become perfectly human, we need to be freed from our bondage to our earthly, temporal, and inconsequential values until all that remains is what God values. While we may have temporal affections such as the love of family and friends, in these affections, we must value what God values, pursue what God values, promote what God values. May all our priorities be purified by the one ultimate and governing priority of perfect humanity, the demonstration and declaration of the glory of God. Everything in life must contribute to this one grand purpose of all creation. This is what it looks like to get your priorities in order. This is Jesus, up close and personal.


Next:  (11) Jesus: Pain & Perfection