God’s Priorities

“I urge you as foreigners and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul. Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that … they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God.”—1 Peter 2:11–12 NASB

As a pastor, Thomas Taylor observed how many Christians felt frustrated. Even though they had committed their lives to Jesus and said they believed the Bible, they still failed to experience God’s peace and joy. They didn’t know what was wrong.

The Bible urges us to focus on God’s Kingdom and on pleasing and serving Him. But many believers spend much of their time thinking about the world. This leads to inevitable problems. Taylor expressed his insights in a hymn called “I’m But a Stranger Here.”

He wrote how Heaven was his home but all around him was “danger and sorrow.” When he went through storms, he reminded himself that his pilgrimage on earth was short. Soon all of life’s troubles would be over, and he would reach home where he would be “at [his] Savior’s side.” This was a place of rest where he would join “those [he] loved most and best.”

This realization gave him perspective. He had no reason to complain. And no matter what he went through, he knew he soon would stand “at [his] Lord’s right hand.”

It can be easy to get caught up in the worries of this world. But always remember that you are just a stranger here and that Heaven is your real home. Make sure your priorities are right. Pray and seek God’s will. Commit your life to serving Him. Seek first His Kingdom. Focus on Him.

Reflection Question: What are your priorities, and how do you keep them in perspective?