* I serve them in spirit and in deed.
* I serve them in life and in death.
* I serve them all, with one goal; to Glorify Jesus Christ
* This goal is “The Meaning of Life.”
* I have these items set in order of importance and priority.
* These are, in my opinion, guided strictly by the direct teachings of Jesus, scriptural examples, and finally apostolic command.

1) Soldier, Citizen & Ambassador of the Kingdom of Heaven.

2) Husband to Molly.

3) Father to Kathryn and Garrison.

4) Son to Carol and James.

5) Son-in-law to Gary and Linda.

6) Brother to Jeff.

7) Brother-in-law to Marlyce, Scott, Wendy, Steve, and Lindsay.

Cousin, nephew, uncle, grandson, to extended family and best friend, Scott.

9) Neighbor to all humankind.

10) Citizen of the United States of America.

Thoughts? Are these in the wrong order? Did I forget something or someone?

DSM

Comments

2 Comments so far

1. Starrider on November 14, 2006 1:11 pm

   Hmmm, your list has inspired me to ask a question of myself and by extension of all of us. I am wondering if it is a reality that we are imposing on ourselves by even thinking in terms of a list and prioritization.

   I mean if we are instructed that all commandments and spiritual truth can be summed up as “Love God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength and love our neighbors as ourselves and even love our enemies”…doesn’t that pretty much put all at number 1 together? If we cannot serve and love God without ourselves and others equally where does that lead us? I have never thought of this before…but as I said…wouldn’t that put the whole list in equal standing at #1? Man o man, isn’t that against what the world has taught us? Maybe that is what it means when Christ speaks about not loving the “World” which would then be defined as anything that systematically distracts or detracts from that universal love. God is Love we are told.

   My thoughts on this are incomplete at the moment. I am pondering the question- why must we make a prioritized list at all?

2. ccwman on November 14, 2006 4:50 pm

   I appreciate your thinking on this.
   This is precisely the thing that I am wondering and trying to reason through.
   My post from a few weeks ago, on “lists & laws”, was a part of this question that you’ve raised.

   I honestly did not catch this point, as I am attempting to formulate understanding for where institutions and individuals should be found in my Weltanschauung.

   But, now that you have asked the question, it gives me some thinking room.
   I am assuming that there should be priorities because we must take decisions about our time, space, resources and love.
   Perhaps this will not be the case when we move past our time/space realm, but for now, while operating in a physical body in a physical universe, time and space are very much a factor, with which we must consider.

   I generally agree with the spirit of your point, however, Jesus made two clear points about his disciples prioritizing the order of their service. Which necessarily implies that an order exists.
   The following passage comes from the New Living Translation. Look at the wording in verse 39 and compare it to the NIV; “And the second is like it…”
   Matthew 22:36-40
   “Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?”
   37 Jesus replied, “ ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’
   38 This is the first and greatest commandment.
   39 A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
   40 All the other commandments and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”

   The wording in the NLT is probably more close to the Spirit of Jesus teaching than the NIV. The fact is, if we love God as directed then we will hit the 2nd most important law, dead center of the “X” ring.
   If we fail to love our neighbor, then we have testified to the fact that we don’t love God.

   Next, if you look back at Mt 10:35-37, Jesus places the priority point at front and center. If we love our family more than Jesus, we are missing the boat. Jesus uses some dramatic language to make the point of the requirement of prioritizing our relationships between him and our family.

   Finally, when you look for apostolic references you might look at the example from 1 Tim. 5:8 “If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
   So, Paul makes a point of prioritizing who is to be seen higher in our physical realm.

   I do think that the mater of priorities is proper, but if we use that to figure out whom we might “stiff”, then we are abusing the biblical example and are, in essence asking the same question that the scribe asked Jesus in Luke 10:29 “And who is my neighbor?”

   DSM