“Getting Our Priorities Straight”

A priority is anything that has first importance in our lives, and as such we live according to what we consider to be the most important thing, or our priorities.

This was what was presented to Hannah by her husband Elkanah. Unable to have children she would go around mourning all day long.

Finally, Elkanah said, “Hannah, why are you weeping? Why don’t you eat? Why are you downhearted? Don’t I mean more to you than ten sons?” (1 Samuel 1:8)

Elkanah and Hannah were Samuel’s parents. But prior to Samuel’s conception she was barren. And so, Elkanah second wife, Peninnah, would chide and goad her to the point of complete frustration causing her great sadness and weeping.

But Elkanah loved Hannah so much that he would give her more, twice as much as he would give Peninnah. But still Hannah wept. And so, one day he asked her if he was not better than ten sons, or better than all her desires multiplied many times over.

What got me thinking is this is how we act around God. We weep and mourn when we don’t get our heart’s desire, or when those promises of God continue to go unfulfilled.

And I believe the Lord asks us the same question, “Why is your heart so sad, and why do you go on weeping over these things? Am I not better than all your desires multiplied many times over?”

Consider just how good God is to us. God so loved us that He sent His Son, Jesus, to take our place and die the death we all deserve so that we will not perish, but instead be in that right relationship with Him with an eternity at His side.

Let’s get our priorities straight and start rejoicing in our Lord rather than weeping over what we don’t have. Jesus tells us to first get our priorities right, that is, His kingdom and righteousness, and He’ll add the rest (Matthew 6:33).