priorities

Is it truly possible to plot out your whole life and know what to expect? The answer is no. God laughs at those of us who think we have control over our lives. We think we have plans... then poof, God says, "Hey, remember me?" We are living according to HIS plan, not ours.

I am obsessed with checklist. They get me from day to day. Having a to do list and checking things off as I go along gives me a sense of satisfaction about my day, and honestly gives me a feeling of control. I guess I feel I need control, because sometimes I feel like my life is unmanageable. I have realized lately though, that maybe I should stop leaning on the checklist and start leaning more on my Lord. So often, this world gets to me and I forget that its not about me, its about others. It's not about what I want, it's about what God wants. It's not about my plan, bnt the Lord's plan. I can plan out every step of my day, week, and year... from what I want to eat for lunch, when I will study, or what time I'll get home from work to when I will graduate, get married, and have kids. But when I get rolling with these plans, God laughs and says, "Woah, woah, woah Gab... slow down!" He throws kinks, road blocks, and obstacles in the road to slow me and down and remember to keep HIS focus as MY focus.

I cannot stand when things do not go as I plan. But I try to tell my self that God will never give me more than I can handle. So whenever I feel like I have something taken away from me, or my world gets flipped upside down, or my plans crumble in front of me... God is letting me know that I have reached my limit. Once I conquer and adapt to the things currently on my plate, he'll consider giving me more. God does this because He loves me. He doesn't want me to feel overwhelmed or broken or upset. My happiness is His happiness. I also know that when things begin to fall apart, it is time for a priority check.

1 Corinthians chapter 7, talks all about love and life. We are told that we are to concentrate soley and simply on pleasing the Master. No matter what life brings to our door, this is our number one priority and mission. We are told to live as free of complications as possible, so that this world does not weigh us down. Whenever our life gets crowded by these complications, our priorities get foggy. This is where God steps in and shocks you. I've found that He often takes away the things you have put ahead of Him. This is to remind us that NOTHING is more important than our God. This is what is called a reality check. It may seem harsh, but it is only to keep us from falling even further from Him. It is sort of a wake up call, some may continue on without prioritizing, but for me, I am reorganizing.

Recently I have been focusing on the wise words of a Godly woman..."If there is anything in your life that you would have a problem giving up if God asked you to, then it is too important to you.  The bible says we are to be in need of nothing except God." I couldn't agree with this more. That is what I have to keep telling myself over, and over, and over while thinking about how I prioritize my life. God should be first. This sounds like a cliche, and often people say this without acting on it or meaning it. I have been that person before. I am making a change, right now, to strive my hardest to keep God as my main and most significant focus in my life. I am leaving my past mindset in the past and starting fresh. I know this will be difficult, and I know that I will struggle, But the blessings of this choice out weigh the burdens. I will come to moments in my future, especially my immediate future, where this world may weigh down on me and I may struggle with my priorities. I know that Satan will tempt me and try to make me regret and change these priorities, but if I stay strong, then I will grow.

Today, this is my struggle. Without a proper and firm foundation to rest my life on, I cannot accomplish anything and will never feel satisfied, I will always feel incomplete and out of place. Putting God first gives me confidence that everything will unfold according to His plan, and His plan is the only plan that matters...

"And don't be wishing you were someplace else or with someone else. Where you are right now is God's place for you. Live and obey and love and believe right there. God, not your marital status, defines your life. Don't think I'm being harder on you than on the others. I give this same counsel in all the churches." 1 Corinthians 7:17 (The Message)

This is the scripture I have been solely focused on for the last 24 hours. The first thing this verse taught me, was the importance of prioritzing. Now when I read the verse I see the importance of confidence and being comfortable with who I am... The other thing I see in this verse is patience. I need a little more time to figure our exactly what God is trying to share with me about parts two and three... but when I know, you'll know.

-G