My First Priority

Rather train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. 1 Timothy 4:7b-8

Twenty-four hours, 1,440 minutes, 86,400 seconds, each and evey day.

Most days I stuggle with how to best prioritize my tasks. I almost always have more things that I could do than I have time to do. What is most important? What will produce the best results—for the Kingdom, for those I serve in our ministries, for my family? It is something I pray about every morning.

Paul wrote to Timothy that he ought to make his first priority intentional, focused training in godliness. Timothy was a busy pastor in a thriving church. Even under the best of circumstances he would have had lots of work to do. But he was not in the best of circumstances. Timothy was also dealing with controversy in the church caused by false teachers. He could easily be consumed with all the things calling for his attention.

When Paul wrote, “Rather, train yourself…” he was, according to John Calvin, telling Timothy that this ought to be his “proper occupation, his labor, his chief care.” What was the “this?” Godliness. Growth in godliness needed to be the most important thing, the first priority, in Timothy’s life.

Calvin continued that it was as if Paul had written, “There is no reason why you should weary yourself to no purpose about other matters; you will do that which is of the highest importance, if you devote yourself, with all your zeal, and with all your ability, to godliness alone.”

I want to learn from Paul’s admonition to Timothy and make godliness my top priority today. I have paper’s to grade, lectures to prepare, emails to send, mentors to call, a fundraising letter to write, administrative tasks to do. I will not get all of those done. But I want to make sure that whatever else I do today, as my first priority, I train for godliness.

Lord, please make it so.

Much love, Barry