My Emphasis – Where is yours? – Hope Stream Radio Podcast
The reading this week for Lent led me to look at where I put my emphasis. You can either listen to the podcast or read the show notes. Either way I would love to hear your thoughts.
On Tuesdays you can hear my podcast on Hope Stream Radio. Then anytime you want to listen you can visit my page on HopeStreamRadio.
Here are the show notes for this week’s program for those who would rather read than listen.
What is Your Emphasis?
I was studying a familiar passage in the Bible the other day and God changed the emphasis of the words.
Mark 12:41-44 where Jesus is watching the people give to the treasury of the temple. I looked at verse 44.
They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.
My eyes had always looked at live and poverty. Totally poor, the widow was giving way more than the rich who gave such a small percentage of their wealth.
This time however I saw the words, Put In Everything. I know that at this point Jesus has been watching all the people give to the treasury – in 13 upside-down trumpet shaped vessels.
This time God took me away from looking at the money aspect and made me look at the words “put in everything she had”. She had not much but she put it all in for God. Now she has only God left. She had emptied herself completely.
We have so much – and not just in money but in time, inspiration, creativity, family, love and education to name a few.
And the next week what passage came next in my Lenten study but Mark 14:1-9. In this story we read about the anointing of Jesus by a woman at the house of Simon the Leper in Bethany.
This time I focused on the verses 8-9. Jesus says:
She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. Truly I tell you, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.
Reading these two passages gave me a double look at whole-hearted worship.
Giving it all to Jesus. Where is my Emphasis?
My question is: Are we investing it ALL to His glory?
I see Michael Hyatt’s book, Living Forward through God’s eyes.
When Michael says to take a long careful look at our lives – investigate, think, pray and ponder He is talking about our WHOLE lives.
Michael chooses what he calls LIFE ACCOUNTS and gives these examples:
You, faith, health, spouse, kids, finances, friends, work and hobbies. But you may choose any accounts you want.
To give everything to God we need to see our every thing. In order to give every thing I need to know where to put my emphasis.
I’m reminded of Micah 6:8
What does the LORD require of you? To act justly, and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.
Listen to 1 Samuel 15:22:
Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as obeying the voice of the LORD?
And Hosea 6:6
For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgement of God rather than burnt offerings.
And Isaiah 1:16-17
Stop doing wrong, learn to do right. Seek justice, encourage the oppressed, Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow.
All those verbs are needed to be added to my life profile.
Act, love, obey, acknowledge, seek, encourage, defend, plead.
And the nouns:
Justice, mercy, humility, God, the Voice, oppressed, fatherless, widows.
I made the word art to remind myself of the emphasis I need in my life.
I haven’t started my formal written life plan yet but God is giving me Scriptures and words to help me when I do. Those words will be my emphasis.
Do you have a life plan? Or are you on autopilot with no plan but drift? (click to tweet)
What are your thoughts?
1 comment