Recently I had to totally change my routine because of my husband’s health issues.Activities I considered important needed to drop down in priority to my Scarlett list, the one titled Think About It Tomorrow .
Scarlett O’Hara in Gone With the Wind determined she would not waste thought during the current day on something unpleasant; instead, she would think and deal with such things tomorrow. How does that relate to living in the image of God? Does that attitude fit with the Christian worldview?
Consider that God tells us He is a present help in times of trouble. To me, that says we need to talk to Him about our troubles, His priorities, and His expectations. Activities can be put off, but prayer needs always to be first in priority.Through prayer, about my husband’s situation, I found God places highest value on marriage. If my husband has a health problem, I need to follow through on vows I made, “in sickness and in health.”
Many activities are good and qualify as kingdom work, but if we fail to get priorities right when God has obviously made them clear in His word, then we fail in living up to being made in His image. I procrastinate on chores that need doing. That, too, qualifies as being less than His image bearer. He did not take a break on His work of creation until it was all done.Continuing in prayer, I hope to find motivation and joy in living and working as He prioritizes.
As for Scarlett, she was only a fictional character. She did not rely on God’s word, but upon herself to set her priorities. Some thoughts were too hard for her to deal with in the current day, so for the sake of sanity she chose to procrastinate. That trait made for a good story, But in real life, God always has our best in mind. We need His guidance. I will continue to ask for His help in setting priorities. How about you? What do you think about God’s setting of your priorities?
scarlet O’Hara
janicegareyblog 
We’ve had to make various changes in our routine over the years, some of them more major due to significant changes (new babies, for example), others for smaller reasons — simple schedule tweaks to enhance the flow of the day. Bathing the changes, great and small, in prayer is always a good thing to remember. Prayer is an important part of the Christian’s life, as you correctly note, Janice, and our Lord delights to hear from us.
I would say that our first priority, though, even above prayer, is to be in the Word. We speak to God through prayer, but, even more importantly, He speaks to us through His Word. Our prayers are informed by what He has first told us in the pages of the Holy Scriptures.
I find it a comfort that God has preserved His Word for us, that He’s sent His Holy Spirit as our guide and comforter, and that none of the details of our lives escapes His notice. Meeting our Savior as we study the Word motivates us to then want to communicate with our Lord through prayer, in gratitude for all God has done for us. What a rich treasure we have in the Word, and how wonderful that we are also given the opportunity and encouragement to approach our Heavenly Father in prayer!
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I appreciate your thought, 6 Arrows. about Bible reading taking priority over prayer. I guess that I feel they go together, that the Bible needs to be read with a prayerful attitude, and I do find myself praying as certain verses apply to what I am going through as I read the Bible. I do love God’s word just as you expressed that you love it. We are sisters in Christ. ❤
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