Chapter 13: Keeping Priorities Straight

"What is most fun should not determine how we appropriate our time."

As God's children, we have 3 main priorities: knowing God and cultivating our relationship with him, spending time with and living our families, working to further God's kingdom on earth. Kraeuter expresses how he finds it easier to do accomplish the third priority here because it yields nearly immediate results, whereas it can be hard to see the results of spending time with God and family right away. God comes first,our family comes second, and then sharing the gospel and ministering to the world comes after that. He reminds us that not every ministry opportunity may come from God and that we must first asses if it will take away from our priority that we have with our family. He tells us that having these priorities set in place will help us be more directed by God in everything we do.

I feel like this past year has been a good one for me in that I have been keeping God and my family at the top of my priorities. I have been tapping more I nto my relationships with my sisters especially. I found that they are both great people to talk to. I'm really glad that I get to establish good relationships with them before I leave for college. I've also really been analyzing my relationship with God and asking hard questions so that my faith is built on a solid foundation. I have been reading God's word more recently and thinking about where all my relationships fall in the scope of God's plan for me. He is in everything I do and in my thoughts at all times. This causes me to feel our relationship deeper than I have before. Having God as my number one priority has lifted a lot of stress and worry off of my shoulders this past year which proves to me that I am doing the right thing.