God's Priority

The more I study the book of Revelation, the more convinced I am that God’s ultimate priority is relationship. All His commandments and all His actions seem to have one ultimate intent: fruitful relationship between Himself and His Bride. This relationship that God seeks to have with us requires that we reciprocate by loving His people. John wrote in 1 John 3.16: “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.” I have struggled though, with understanding just what it should look like in my life to “lay down my life for my brother.” Sure, if I see someone whose life is in danger, I must take whatever risk necessary to save the other person — after all, should I die in the attempt to rescue another I still have eternity with Jesus. The tougher question is how do I lay my life down for my brother in the normal circumstances of life? If my brother needs a car, should I give him mine? Then I’ll need a car and someone else will be burdened with giving me theirs. So should I just ignore the fact that my brother needs a car? Questions like these have prompted me to develop the following chart:



What it boils down to is prioritizing the real needs of others over my own luxuries and conveniences. I think it’s in the day-to-day dying to my self-absorption and self-indulgence where the real laying down of my life for a brother occurs. I hope this helps you. I hope it helps us become the Bride and ministers that God intends.