Priority One

Everything in life has its place.

Bring me a denarius and let me see it.' And they brought one. Then he said to them, 'Whose head is this, and whose title?' They answered, 'The emperor's.' Jesus said to them, 'Give to the emperor the things that are the emperor's, and to God the things that are God's.' And they were utterly amazed at him. - Mark 12:15-17

Today's Gospel reading is all about setting priorities.  Jesus is asked about paying taxes not because the Pharisees have a real concern, but to see if they could get him to say something that would lead him into trouble with Rome.

They ask him questions they believe will trap him down a path he can't escape. but their plan backfires.  He refuses to be led where he will not go.

He simply says that there are things in this world that are God's and things that are not.  Put everything in its proper place and you will have no conflict.

It's good advice, but it isn't always easy to avoid the temptation to respond differently.  When we are falsely accused, when we are misled, or when our emotions are riled up, we may want to lash out and counter the actions taken against us.

That isn't God's work but ours.

There is no need to come to God's defense.  He can handle that.  Our job is to stay with Him, and know that all we need to do is know the difference between His will and ours.

Nearly every day, I find I have to deal with people in conflict.

I may not think their issues are of major importance.  To me, they are not worth fighting over, yet to those who have been treated poorly for years, a slight provocation can escalate quickly.

I have learned not to belittle their concerns, but to listen and offer the option of walking away.

We can offer up our conflicts to God and move on, or we can find ourselves embroiled in a battle with no good outcome.

We need to recognize that there are some things that are real worldly issues that need real attention, but there are also things that are beyond our scope and vision, things we can have faith in because they are in God's control.

These are the things we should strive for, and let the worldly stuff fall where it may.

That said, it isn't easy to let go, is it?

More to come...