“What in the world?” That question popped into my mind at 2:00 am recently when we were awakened by our house security system making a loud and constant beeping noise. I knew I didn’t hear the sirens that sound when there’s been a breach, but I also knew it was definitely our security system. Once I got my bearings, I realized it was letting us know that the backup battery was low and needed replacing. I took care of that problem the next morning.
We like having a security system. It gives us a greater sense of security when we’re sleeping or gone from the house. It also makes both of us feel better when I travel and Monieca is home alone. It is a priority for which we gladly pay the monthly monitoring fee.
A lot of priorities in life are somewhat like our security system. They make life better and we depend on them. The challenge is paying attention to them and keeping them healthy. They normally don’t cry out for our attention until there’s a problem…like a low backup battery.
We can ignore our body and physical health until it screams pay attention to me with a heart attack or some other ailment. I’m losing weight for that very reason, although I was blessed to only have acid reflux when the fear was I had a blockage. A heart cath clarified the problem and became a loud siren in the middle of the night.
We can ignore our marriage while raising kids and advancing our career until our spouse walks away or has an affair. That is a loud scream that is very difficult to silence once it starts. I’ve seen it too many times as a Pastor while couples sit in my office and tell me their story. I’ve heard different versions of the same story so many times I can often finish it before they do.
We can ignore our relationship with Jesus and spiritual growth because other things seem to always get in the way until one day we either feel “dead” on the inside or we face a crises for which we’re not prepared. The ultimate crises will be standing before Jesus on Judgment Day and explaining why everything always got in the way.
A night of good sleep was ruined when our security system woke us and I had to spend time the following morning getting and then installing a battery…time I had planned to use differently. That’s what happens when we ignore priorities. Things get so bad they not only scream fix me, but they disrupt us in a way that is not always pleasant.
The wise approach to living is pay attention to the true priorities of life so that they never need to scream. That will be a life well lived.
Merry Christmas,
Pastor Steve Hogg
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