Importance

Importance

John 17: ⁹ “I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours. ¹⁰ And all Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine, and I am glorified in them. ¹¹ Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are. ¹² While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. ¹³ But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves.”

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Hearing “No, you cannot stay out that late” made me want to do it all the more. I mean, my friends weren’t “bad” and they were allowed to stay out late. I sat and thought about sneaking out of the house, but could not figure out how I was going to get back in.

• I made, hanging out in the streets, important to me.
• I made, being with the crowd, important to me.
• I made, wanting to party, important to me.

JESUS prays to the FATHER and states what is important to HIM. HE asks to “Keep those given to ME, as one.” He also asks that “They may have joy.” These things are extremely important to GOD.

• JESUS wants me to have unity with others who believe in HIM.
• JESUS wants me to have joy that can only come from HIM.
• JESUS wants me to have and everlasting relationship with HIM.

Health, wealth and happiness are important things to me, but sometimes they get in the way of what is important to GOD. It’s not like GOD doesn’t cat for these things, it’s just that they can be a distraction from what is truly important to GOD.

There is a lot at stake by losing a person forever. I may not have a shirt in the right color or the latest phone, which would sometimes make me pout. BUT GOD would rather I pout over a loved one who does not believe in JESUS as the one and only Savior, who could be lost for eternity. Salvation is important to GOD, and I am slowly making it important to me.

• What is important to you?
• Have you asked GOD what is important to HIM?
• Will you allow GOD to use you for what is important to HIM today?