Of First Importance...

What is most important to you?  Sometimes I think it's crucial that we take time to focus, reflect and ponder this question.  I was taught from a very young age to "keep first things first", and "seek first His Kingdom", and these phrases while impressed upon my mind often have a way of slipping my heart so to speak.


In 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 it says:   "Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.

For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures"

There are so many areas in my life that seem so very important, and they are very important, but they are not of first importance.  I forget that sometimes.  I'm a ministers wife and all that that entails. I'm a stay at home mother of three, and all that that embodies.  But first and foremost I am a child of God.  Sharing Him, His love and His sacrifice should be on my "list" of things to do, but frequently it slips down to a lesser priority.
I wish that I were a writer that could articulate like Ann, or Elise.  But I'm not...yet.  I wish I were a speaker like Kathi.  But I'm not... yet.  Maybe I never will be.  When I was a sophomore at a small Christian College, I took a class called Personal Spiritual Development.  We took a spiritual gifts assessment. I was so disappointed when my test came back.  I wanted so badly to have an "important" gift.  Exhortation.  That was my area of giftedness.  At the time, I didn't think it was anything special, but that was over ten years ago.  Do you know what I've learned in the past few years?  People need exhortation.  People need to be encouraged.  Proverbs speaks often of the use of our words:  "A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver." Proverbs 25:11  And in Philemon (1:4-7) Paul himself speaks to what encouragement does for him, "I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers, because I hear about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints. I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ. Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the saints."
  It's time.  It's time for me to finally embrace the exhortation gift.  To learn how to use the talent God has given me for His glory, His great good.  Could it be possible that a weekend could give me the tools I need to begin? I don't know, but I'm willing to find out.  Thank you for listening to me, for hearing my heart and my simple confession.  Thanks Lysa for the opportunity to dream.

I just recently found out about the She Speaks conference from Chatting at the Sky.  I don't know much about it, only what I've read on the website, but I know this: any time godly women get together to sharpen one another and encourage His gifts in one another, GOOD things come from it.