Priorities in life
I was speaking with a Catholic friend of mine a while back about how Catholics view their priorities in life, and it made me think of several questions for WELS. This Catholic friend explained that Catholics believe that in a person's list of priorities, God is first, family is second, and the church is third. Additionally, this friend explained that God, family, and the church are intertwined, even with this list of priorities. I think it brings up several questions for us in the WELS. Should we consider WELS churches to take priority over our families? Or do our families take priority over our WELS churches? I think most people would say that their immediately family takes priority over a WELS church, which is essentially a collection of other people with common beliefs worshiping God. But I do think there are some in WELS who would argue that WELS takes priority over the family. How would you answer these questions?
I can reduce the tension that exists in trying to prioritize life’s events by recognizing that I serve God when I serve my family and others. Jesus’ parable of the sheep and the goats (Matthew 25:31-40) illustrates that service to others is service to him. The apostle Paul explained that love for others includes love for God (Galatians 5:14). The apostle John described how love for others and love for God go hand in hand (1 John 4:20-21). I recognize that there are “two tables” of the law, but when I arbitrarily draw a line that separates service to others from service to God, I lose sight of the unity of my Christian life of service.
Might I still have scheduling conflicts among events involving my personal life, family life and congregational life? Certainly. When those conflicts arise, I will attempt to make the best decision for the use of my time. I know I cannot be perfect in the use of my time, abilities and resources, so I ask God to forgive my shortcomings and empower me through his gospel for future, faithful Christian service.