Studies

2nd Mile in our Priorities

Our priorities shape our everyday life:

• If physical health is top priority we will invest time/money & effort into workouts & eating healthy
• If music is top priority we will take lessons, buy sheet music and practice for hours

Priorities reveals themselves in ways that we invest our time, money, talents and joy.

Matthew 6:33-34 - How can we make the “Kingdom” and make “Righteousness” a priority?

Jesus gives us 3 tools to help prioritize our focus:

#1) Determine our treasure - Matthew 6:19-24

• What we treasure is clearly highlighted in our priorities.
• We work to keep our treasure close to us, to ensure its safety and protect its value
• Jesus urges us to invest ourselves in heavenly rather than earthly treasure
• Things of the world will rust, erode and be destroyed but HEAVENLY treasure is found in GOD

Q: What are some earthly treasures? What are some HEAVENLY treasures?

#2) The direction we move - Matthew 6:25-34

• Worrying undermines our focus (it turns our eyes away from God and puts our attention on self)
• We stack bills, struggles, concerns & guilt into a big pile - creates worry
• 2nd miler's can look at tomorrow and see the size of our God not the size of our obstacles

Q: What direction does Jesus give us in regards to our lives in verse 25-27 (read it again)?

#3) Ask, Seek & Knock - Matthew 7:7-12

• Daily the world will challenge your 2nd mile priorities (sometimes subtlety other times obviously)
• Walking the 2nd mile requires us to keep our Christ-given priority clearly before us

A) Ask for guidance = 2nd milers keep a clear path in following Jesus by asking him for guidance, direction & prayer

B) Seek opportunities = 2nd milers deliberately seek opportunities to reveal the GRACE of God to others

C) Knock & enter his presence = Matthew 7:7

• Someone knocking on a door shows the desire to be allowed access to enter somewhere
• Jesus is the door that makes it possible for us to enter into God's presence
• That door and desire lies in the heart of the 2nd mile (the 1st miler is content on just being there but the 2nd miler wants to enter and be with God)

Q: How will asking/seeking & knocking help us seek 1st the Kingdom of God and be 2nd miler's?