The Most Important Thing On My List

So tonight during my devotions I was thinking about things that are important to me:

Family
Work
Exercise (even though I do so little of it, my potbelly AKA pooch AKA flabby area AKA muffin top AKA baby fat even if you don't have a baby AKA whatever you personally prefer to call that particular area, won't let me stop thinking about it)
School (Lucas and I are in pursuit of Associates and Bachelor degrees)
Food (oh how I love thee)
Friendships (I am a people person and social butterfly usually)
Financial Concerns (hence, we're going to school to improve that whole "situation")
Vegging Out (lazy days are so fun sometimes)

I wrote down two different prayers:
I love You and even as I try not to be legalistic but come to You in sincerity, help me God to find the "balance" if there is one, which means You are first and foremost in my life and that no other gods come before You.

I was reminded of this verse:
"Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you." The verses continue as they talk of not worrying about our clothes and what we will wear, or our food and what we will eat because, in paraphrase, God provides all of these things for His children, just as He provides for the flower lillies and the birds. Also, do not store up for yourselves treasures in Heaven, where moth and rust destroy. ~ Matthew 6

(stick with me, it all comes together in the end :))
Earlier I had written this prayer:
Lord, guide my decisions. Remind me that the growing pains I have are only teaching me to love You more. I am reminded that living here in this life is a sacrifice for You. Yet there is joy in abundant life (John 10:10) here because that is what You desire for me. It comes as I truly come to know you which is based on, but not limited to, one of the many principles of Your Word: "Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." (Matthew 10:39)

You see, when He is my first priority above everything on my list, and then some, then the paradox lies that I will also find Him in and throughout all of these things. Each thing on my list is of an uttermost importance to me, some, of course on a higher level, but He still deserves my greatest attention, even above my family.... Why? Because I, and you, were created for Him, to know Him, to love Him, and so much more. I am not writing about a fanatical or head in the clouds relationship, but a real, day to day, intimate, He will help us within our most desperate and crazy times, relationship with Christ, who died for our sins, so that this unity with Him could even be possible in the first place.

And the truth is, that it is a sacrifice, or it at least feels like one, when we hear the promptings of the Holy Spirit when Christ is not truly first. He gently and persistently reminds us by His little nudges and whispers, to put Him first. This might mean us waking up earlier to pray and read our Bible, thus sacrificing our important sleep. Or maybe we feel called to witness more at work and school. Or maybe our nudge is to listen to Christian music. Or is our nudge, just to take the beginning steps in getting closer to Him in the first place, because we are just learning what it really means to sincerely love God, because maybe we're new to the whole God thing. And as important as the things are on our 'important" list, He, and the state of our relationship with Him, is so much more important than any of those things. And we are called to love Him more than it all. (Matthew 10:37)

So, when I (we) put Him first, when I seek Him by reading my Bible, or utter a heartfelt prayer to Him at any second of the day, when He truly is my first and foremost priority... "all these things will be added" unto me, and you. Because then our priorities truly are straight, He is the center and our reason for being, and we will see and appreciate those tremendous blessings that already exist, such as, our family, or the dreaded school day and even homework, finding the motivation within the lack of motivation to exercise...or whatever else might be on that special list of ours, we will see Him woven in and through it all. Amen.

I am also reminded of an excellent worship song by Michael Frye, the words are below, as well as a link you can copy and paste of a great music video of the song. May His Holy Spirit truly bring us closer to Him, through all of our growing pains of life, in every sacrifice... Amen.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXzEHN6sK4s

Jesus be the center
Be my source, be my light Jesus
Jesus be the center
Be my song Jesus

Be the fire in my heart
Be the wind in my sails
Be the reason that I live

Jesus Jesus
Jesus be my vision
Be my help
Be my guide Jesus