For the last six weeks, I had a major change in my routine that caused me to reflect on what’s important in life. What are my priorities?

As believers, that must start with the biblical story in view. God was dwelling with Adam and Eve in Eden. Tragically for them and for us, they decided to live their lives based on their own wisdom instead of trusting God’s Word. Since God cannot reside with unrighteousness, he began an intentional plan to return and dwell on earth with mankind again. It is his priority. The tabernacle and temple in the OT are examples of his “dwelling” in a measured way. Then, Jesus comes, as John describes in 1:14, “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” Jesus’s presence gives us hope, but he doesn’t restore the perfection of Eden…yet. Ultimately, Revelation 21:3 gives us a full picture of how things will end: "Behold, the tabernacle (dwelling) of God is among the people. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them.”

That is why we are calling people to Jesus and his kingdom.

When I think about this clear priority of God to dwell with us and his plan to make a new people for his name, I long for his priorities to be reflected in my life. How do I live this out? What is he teaching me in this situation right now? What is distracting me from all God wants to do in me and through me?

As I was processing my current experience, I was reminded of something the lead pastor of my home church experienced. Though he grew up in the UK, he became a fan of the San Francisco Giants baseball team when he moved to the Bay Area. He was fortunate enough to get tickets to one of the games in the 1989 World Series. Imagine the excitement as everyone in the full stadium was waiting for the game to begin. But just before it started, a 6.9 earthquake hit nearby. The stadium moved like a wave! Suddenly—in an instant—all attention shifted. The game was now an afterthought and was postponed. People and relationships became central.

Think with me for a minute: How does your life reflect God’s priorities? What is the focus of your prayers? Or your private thoughts?

Part of the challenge I experience when I reflect like this is that the world around us works hard to control our attention. And rarely is that in sync with God’s priorities. It is not new, but today, more than perhaps any time in history, many of us in developed countries have the combination of wealth and disposable income, access to leisure goods, and discretionary time.

But a more significant factor today is that we not only experience this ourselves but we can also watch others do it on our smart phones. We can visually see almost anything in the world anytime. Conversely, the more people watch others, the less they do themselves, so they are spending time watching others spend their leisure time and money doing things that stimulate their senses.

Even secular addiction experts are seeing patterns of overabundance as they deal with people who are addicted and crave the dopamine hits. It grows out of what some call the “plenty paradox.”1 The more we have, the worse off we are.2

Most of you reading this page in MF are people with a vision to see the gospel of the kingdom flow into new peoples and places. We are, or should be, the kind of people who regularly evaluate what takes priority in our lives and the ministry God has called us to. Where do we give our time and resources? Do we have a clear sense of priority for why we are here and what God desires to do through us?