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“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices – mint, dill, and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law – justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.” (Matthew 23:23).
Priorities are important; they create the foundation of our lives. Most of us have chosen to make preparing for the future a main concern. This preparation guides our daily lives, spills into our family moments, and can become an all-consuming task. It is extremely important to us; therefore, it becomes a priority in our life. But, can prepping become too much for us? Is there a point where prepping can actually cause harm to our future and our families?
In Matthew 23:23, Jesus is condemning the Pharisees for focusing so much on one aspect of their lives that they neglected other equally, if not more, important ones. This is true of our own selves. We must constantly think about the priorities in our lives; we certainly cannot do too much in one area while neglecting others. If we focus all of our energy on giving just the simple tithe of ten percent God requests, but refuse to do anything else, aren’t we still sinning? God calls us to offer ourselves to Him but in doing so, we must ensure we are offering our whole selves, not just a part.
Prepping for our future is one of the most important things we can do but it cannot take over our lives. We must strike a balance between prepping and other aspects of life, including family and time with God, because when we are focused on Him, He will help sustain us and bring stability to our lives.
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Today in Christian History
May 12th
254 – St. Stephen I began his reign as the Catholic Church’s 23rd pope. According to the “Liber Pontificalis,” it was Stephen who instituted the rule that clerics should wear special clothes at their ministrations.
1310 – Fifty-four Knights Templars were burned at the stake as heretics in France. Established during the Crusades to protect pilgrims traveling to the Holy Land, this military order came into increasing conflict with Rome until Clement V officially dissolved it in 1312 at the Council of Vienna.
1891 – The Presbytery of New York voted to put the Rev. Dr. Charles A. Briggs, the new professor of biblical theology at Union Theological Seminary, on trial for heresy.
1907 – Birth of Sidney N. Correll, founder and first General Director (1946-1971) of United World Mission, Inc. This evangelical missions organization is involved worldwide in evangelism, church planting and Christian education.
1938 – In Holland, the four-day convention at Utrecht ended, at which the Provisional Constitution for the World Council of Churches was adopted.
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Today in Christian History Source: www.studylight.org
