SOUL PRIORITIES
by Kathy Pegram

 

In 3 John 1:2 we read, "Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth." I have read this particular scripture dozens of times, just like I am sure you have, but it wasn't until recently when I heard a minister preach on this scripture that something clicked within me.

I believe that God is saying to us today, just as John said to Gaius, I want you to prosper and be in good health, even as your soul prospers. I believe that there is one thing that the church of our day has failed to realize, and that is, your soul has to come first in your priorities, just as God has to come first! When we are close to God, our lives and our relationships will be a lot happier. We can't put God on a shelf and only bring Him down when we want something from Him. God loves us so much that He wants to be with us and to communicate with us. To do this however, we must take time for Him. This is a soul priority.

Several years ago, when we came home from an out of state revival, work was piled up in the office, so Steve was complaining about being so far behind. I reminded him that he could have done some work the night before. His answer was, "No, that's our time. It's our time to be alone. No kids, no ministry, just us." Well guess what? That's how God feels when He wants to spend time with us alone. Going to church is not good enough. Talking about what God has done in your life is not good enough. Reading your Bible is not good enough. God wants us to steal away to a secret place and come before His throne and love Him. There is nothing sweeter than spending time alone with God. You'll come out feeling refreshed, comforted and loved.

We have to make time for God. If we have to give up something else in our lives, God has got to come first. Our Bible tells us that "The thief cometh not but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy." Satan is stealing our time, killing our testimonies and destroying our relationships. God is our only hope and our only salvation! He must be number one in our lives. As a matter of fact, He won't settle for second best!

If we will just put God first, we will see all other aspects of our lives improve. Of course, there will still be times of testing. God never said the road would be easy. But this one thing we know. We can have the assurance that he is walking beside us. One thing will always stay the same in this ever changing world, and that is God loves us with unfailing love!

When my sons were really young, I read them a story called, "I'll Love You Forever". The story is about a woman who every night, from the time her son was an infant until he was grown, tells him, "I'll love you for always, I'll like you forever, As long as I live, my baby you'll be." Eventually, the mother becomes old and feeble. The son one day goes to see her. When he walks in the door, she starts, "I'll love you for....," but due to her old age, she just couldn't remember the rest of it. So, her son takes her into his arms and says, "I'll love you for always, I'll like you forever, As long as I live, my mother you'll be." At the end of that story, Travis, my youngest son, looks at me and says, "Mama. Even if I died, I'd still love you. I would love you even from heaven. And if you died, you'd still love me, because you will always love me, won't you?" I assured him that yes, even death can't separate the love that we share. Do you know that is what God is saying to us? We are His children and He will love us forever. And not even death will separate us from the love of God!

Romans 8:35,38,39 tells us, "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come. Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God."

What a marvelous love God has for us! Can't we set aside some time for Him, just to love Him, just to than Him, just to praise Him after all He's done for us? I don't think that's too much to ask, do you? It's time to get our soul priorities back in order. Let's get back to a personal relationship with God. He is truly the best friend you will ever have!

Love and Prayers,
Kathy