Your Primary Focus

Let me give you my definition of an idol: anything, or anyone, that receives the primary focus of my energy or resources, which should first belong to God.

Shiny Gods, Mike Slaughter*

What draws the majority of your attention?

We all go through phases in life. Perhaps work is taking a lot of your energy right now. Perhaps it’s a hobby. Maybe it’s your family or other responsibilities.

How often does your spiritual life take the top slot on your priority list?

I think, for a lot of people, the spiritual life gets put on the backburner. It’s not pressing. It’s not in our face. It’s not something that we think about all that often until we are intentional about it. Yet, I would argue that the spiritual life is one of the most important aspects of our lives.

I know what you’re thinking: of course you’re going to think that, you’re a pastor!

Maybe. Or maybe I’m a pastor because I think that. There’s a whole cart and horse situation going on here. Or is it chicken and eggs? I’m not sure.

One of the reasons I pursued a call to ministry is because I think that our spiritual life is important, and I want to help people along the way.

Let’s be clear about something, though. I don’t see myself as an expert. I’m not a guru that’s going to dispense all kinds of wisdom and have people following me around trying to make their way to the spiritual mountaintop.

I’m just a regular person. Sometimes, I have moments of inspiration. Most of the time, I’m just trying to figure it out as I go. Aren’t we all to a certain extent?

One thing I have noticed in my own life, however, is the fact that there are no easy answers. And the more I pay attention to my spiritual health, the better everything else in my sphere of influence is.

I’m not suggesting that this is some kind of magic formula either. This isn’t another iteration of the prosperity gospel. This is just an observation from my own life.

You may have heard the old story/proverb/parable about how inside each person there are two wolves, and the one you feed is the one that will grow. The point of this is to say that what we pay attention to will end up with the greatest influence in our lives.

So, what’s on your priority list? What is it to which you are dedicating your time, effort and resources? And is it more important than your spiritual life?

*Amazon affiliate link. This is a great resource if you’re in a local church and trying to find a stewardship series.