People are always looking for ways to find peace in their lives. There are endless books available on how to find the perfect husband, how to find financial security, how to find happiness, and so on. A lot of people will give you different answers to happiness, be it trusting in God, having a good church home and/or being part of a family. The question remains though – how should you prioritize your life for finding peace? How you prioritize your life will determine a lot about your future happiness in regard to relationships, especially your relationship with God. Prioritizing your life, according to the precepts found in the Word of God, is one of the most important things you can do to find true peace and happiness. Thus, you will set the groundwork for establishing healthy relationships.
The most important priority is honoring God by putting Him first in every part of your life. God spoke the Ten Commandments through Moses, to include the First Commandment – “You shall have no other gods before me.” (Exodus 20:3 NIV) Moses later spoke the following words of encouragement to his predecessor Joshua and the people of Israel as they prepared themselves for their journey into the Promised Land. “The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” (Deuteronomy 31:8 NIV) Jesus Christ further reassured His disciples with the words, “But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:26-27 NIV) In other words, if you place God first and follow His instructions, you will have the security of knowing that God will be by your side, helping you persevere through your lifetime of challenges as well as accomplishments.
The second most important priority is honoring God by fulfilling your family commitments. In the Fifth Commandment to the people of Israel we find the words – “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.” (Exodus 20:12 NIV) In the Apostle Paul’s letter to the believers in Colosse, he outlines the following instructions for Christian households. “Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them. Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged.” (Colossian 3:18-21 NIV) As a believer, you have an obligation to take care of your family, and your responsibilities change as you go through various stages of life. As long as you place God first in your decision making process, your family will reap the benefits of having someone grounded in something bigger than him or herself…they will have a loved one grounded in the teachings found in the Word of God.
The third most important priority is honoring God by helping others to learn about His grace. The words of the Fourth Commandment say, “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.” (Exodus 20:8 NIV) The author of Hebrews instructs believers to continue coming together as a group of believers, or as a church, for the purpose of glorifying God. (Hebrews 10:19-25) In the Apostle Peter’s first epistle, he leaves the following instructions on how we should live for God and help others learn about His grace, especially within a church. “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.” (I Peter 4:10) In the Apostle Paul’s first letter to the believers in Corinth, he uses several chapters for describing how the Holy Spirit has entrusted believers with spiritual gifts for serving others. (I Corinthians 12-14) Jesus Christ has instructed us to love our neighbors as ourselves. (Matthew 22:39) As a believer, you should bring glory to God by utilizing your God-given individual talent(s) and spiritual gift(s) as a means of sharing your faith with others.
In conclusion, prioritizing your life for healthy relationships coincides with you finding peace. First and foremost, you have to take care of your individual relationship with God by placing Him first and foremost in everything. As for a second priority, once you figure out how to prioritize your own life, you can take the Godly principles you live by as an individual and apply those same principles to better fulfilling your familial commitments. As for the third most important priority, once you begin to understand how the Holy Spirit works through your own life and family, you can better help others learn about God’s grace by serving in a church and sharing your faith through your own personal testimony. The Apostle Paul makes it clear that a Christian leader needs know how to manage his or her own family before taking care of other people, with the rhetorical question – “If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church? (I Timothy 3:5 NIV) Overall, the initial step for starting healthy relationships rests with each of us, as we seek God’s will for our lives.
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