The Most Important Thing

If you spend any time on Facebook, you’ve probably seen the “ask your kids” quizzes. Without any prompting, you ask your kids questions like:

What is something I always say to you?

What makes me happy?

What was I like as a child?

What do I do when you’re not around?

These are good for a laugh, a poignant moment, and a few likes on your Facebook posts. You get to hear from your own children’s mouths how they see you and what they think about you.

One question missing from this fun quiz could stop you in your tracks. It could change the way you live your life. Sit down with your children and give them permission to be candid and honest. Take a deep breath and ask, “What is the most important thing to me?”

What do you hope they say?

Maybe you’re hoping for Sunday school answers—God, Jesus, your faith, the Bible. Family and children are also acceptable, especially since you’re asking the people who think they are the apple of your eye and the center of your universe. These answers make your heart swell. They affirm that you’re doing something right.

We were created with a specific purpose in mind. When presented with the question about the greatest commandment, Jesus responded without hesitation, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37 CSB). His answer gives us our life’s goal: love God with all we are. God should be what is most important in our lives.

What are you afraid they will say?

When you ask your kids what is most important to you, you probably don’t want to hear things like Netflix, Facebook, Zumba, or your iPhone. Answers centered around hobbies and time-wasters reveal some misaligned priorities and self-control issues. Working moms don’t want to hear “work,” because that means our greatest fears are realized. If the answer is “sleep,” we might feel a little lazy.

Paul provides instruction for those times when our priorities are out of whack. “Pay careful attention, then, to how you live—not as unwise people but as wise—making the most of the time, because the days are evil. So don’t be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is” (Ephesians 5:15–17 CSB).

What is the Lord’s will? Love God with all your heart, soul, and mind. We live this out by making the most of our time. The King James Version says “redeeming the time.” The Greek word used here is exagorazō, meaning “to make wise and sacred use of every opportunity for doing good.”

What do you say?

If you aren’t quite ready to ask your kids this question, start by asking yourself, “What is the most important thing to me?” Don’t just give yourself those Sunday school answers. Be brave and dig deep.

Here are a few questions to help determine what is most important to you:

How do you spend your time?
Where do you spend your money?
When your mind is idle, where does it go?
What is your initial response when things go wrong? When they go right?
When you have nothing to do, what do you do?
What wakes you up early or keeps you up late?
What do you love to talk about with friends?

You have your answer, don’t you? You can see what is most important to you. Do you like your answer?

How can we change the answer?

If you were brave enough to ask your kids this most revealing question and you don’t like their answers, you can make a change. If self-examination reveals a different answer than you hoped, the answer doesn’t have to stay the same. Loving God with your whole heart, soul, and mind is possible.

Start at the beginning. Redeem your time. Commit to giving God your first.

The first minutes of your day for prayer, reading the Bible, and worship.
The first of your week spent with your local church and observing the Sabbath.
The first of your income given as a tithe offering.
The first of your family by providing them with spiritual instruction backed up by your own godly living.
The first of your joys, thanking God for his blessings.
The first of your sorrow as you seek his guidance in times of trouble.

As you commit your first to God, he will become the most important thing in your life. He promises to make a leap toward you when you make the smallest step toward him. The Message says, “Say a quiet yes to God and he’ll be there in no time” (James 4:8). You’ll feel the difference, and your kids will certainly see the difference!

Kelly Smith is a small town girl who married a small town man. They have three children. In the quiet minutes of her day, you will find her at the keyboard or curled up with a book–always with coffee. Kelly believes we are created for community and loves to find ways to connect with other women who are walking in the shadow of the cross. She blogs at mrsdisciple.com.