My grandfather was just placed in hospice this week, after 12 years of fighting cancer, open heart surgery, and diabetes he does not have much time left. To say it has been hard would be a huge understatement. He is going to leave behind a wife of 58 years, three kids, eight grandkids, and seven great grandkids to date. He loves Jesus and served Jesus, the Church, and people well. He was not a perfect man and didn’t always get it right. He did not have new cars, fancy toys, or a large retirement. Depending on what you value, some may say he had it all and others very little. He went to most of my games as a kids, taught me to hunt and fish, and taught me to work on cars. I think he had what matters most.
I asked him after 80 years of life, what really matters. He said that is easy.
1. Jesus
2. Marriage
3. Family
He told me if I am successful in those areas, that is what matters most. Family for him is a lot more people than blood relations. I was overwhelmed at the number of people who came to visit that told me he is family.
At one point, Jesus was asked about priorities and what really matters.
Matthew 22:35 One of them, an expert in religious law, tried to trap him with this question: 36 “Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?”
37 Jesus replied, “‘You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’e 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. 40 The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”
Verse 40 sticks out to me. Jewish laws and customs had over 600 regulations that children spent years learning and old men spent years debating. Jesus wraps up the entire point of the Old Testament in three sentences. Can you imagine the response?
So I have a question for you: What do you really value? Not what do you say you value… what does your time, talent, and treasure say you value? It is what your words say? If you say you value your church but do not give and serve, your time, talent and treasure trump your words. If you say you value family, but spend all your free time in front of a TV, hunting, and side projects, your time, talent, and treasure say different. I am not trying to make anyone feel shame, but I want to challenge you to make your time, talent, and treasure line up with what you say you value.
If you are unsure, ask the people who know you best what you really value and just listen don’t defend. Create a plan for your time, talent, and treasure to match your values. Value the right things!
Recklessly, obsessively following Jesus
Brandon Sereg
