The Most Important Thing

Yesterday afternoon, I dropped off my daughter and a friend to begin rehearsals for the Oklahoma State FFA Convention Chorus.  We had a problem about an hour before I dropped them off, because my daughter happened to realize that she had left her chorus music at home.  She was upset, obviously, because she thought she remembered packing it and knew she would need it.  It was the "most important thing".....the main thing needed for the rehearsals.  Thankfully, the reason she had the music at home was because the chorus director is very well organized and sent it out a couple of weeks ago so that all of the chorus members would learn their words and tunes in advance.  So, she knew the words, but still needed the music.

Quickly we called and made arrangements to drop off the two girls, and I went about an hour towards home to meet my oldest son and mother-in-law (my husband was preaching out of town) with the music.  They drove about an hour and 15 minutes to meet me.  Not something in our plans for the afternoon, but something that we did to help out my daughter.

She kept thinking, as we all would do, "How could I forget the most important thing?"

Something occurred to me while I was doing all of that driving yesterday.  For my daughter, that music was the most important thing she needed at that time.  Tomorrow, at performance time, her most important thing would be the FFA jacket and other clothing items she is supposed to wear.  At others times, it would be something else.  Sometimes we all forget "the most important thing", don't we?

The most important thing, in reality, should be that we become Christians....that we live a faithful life and that we spend eternity with God and Jesus in Heaven.  There is NOTHING more important than that, is there?  However, many forget this.  Many forget this "most important thing" and neglect the Bible's teachings, believing that perhaps "someday" they'll become a Christian.  They reason that, "Someday I will give my life to the Lord.  Someday I'll commit my life to Christ and His church."  Someday.

Another important thing for us to realize is that we should help bring others to Him.  Our concern should be to go to Heaven and to take others with us.  That is just one of God's commandments....that we seek and save the lost.

Right now, in my life, the "most important thing" are actually the four people that are in our home.  To my husband and I,  they should be the ones we are striving to teach about living a life as a Christian, about staying faithful to God and the importance of His church.  They are the most important thing/people in our lives right now.  Not that we shouldn't try to teach others, but they are our responsibility and God expects us to teach them before anyone else, I am certain.

So, why is it that sometimes we forget the "most important thing"?  Are we too busy?  Too tired?  Too lazy?  Too proud?  Too selfish? Do we just put it off...thinking we have plenty of time to remember?  Do we neglect the important thing in any way at all?  Sadly, sometimes we do.

My daughter realizes now - even more - that she MUST make sure....make double sure.....and even triple sure, that she has everything she needs before she leaves home for trips.  This forgotten thing...this problem could be taken care of but other things might be impossible to fix.

Don't neglect taking care of the "most important thing" in your life.  Don't neglect becoming a Christian.  Don't neglect living a lift of faithfulness and giving your life to Him so that you can live with Him for eternity.  Don't forget/neglect to teach your children about Christ.  Don't neglect to bring them up in the "nurture and admonition of the Lord".  Don't neglect teaching them about His church and telling them/teaching them why it is important.

Don't forget the MOST IMPORTANT THING.

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love.  For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.  But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.

Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

2 Peter 1:5-11