What does the Bible say about priorities?

What does the Bible say we should prioritize in our life?

Set your hearts on his kingdom first, and on God's saving justice, and all these other things will be given you as well. - Matthew 6:33

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - The Bible has a lot of scriptures about the order of our priorities.

Matthew 22:37-38 clearly explains: "Jesus said to him, 'You  must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment."

Many believe this can only be achieved by entering the clergy but loving the Lord isn't exclusive - it is available to everyone.

The number one thing we have been called to prioritize in our lives is to love the Lord.

Does this mean we need to spend all our time in prayer and worship?

No. Remember Matthew 25:35-40: "For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you made me welcome, lacking clothes and you clothed me, sick and you visited me, in prison and you came to see me.' Then the upright will say to him in reply, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink?

"When did we see you a stranger and make you welcome, lacking clothes and clothe you? When did we find you sick or in prison and go to see you? And the King will answer, 'In truth I tell you, in so far as you did this to one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it to me.'"

These verses tell us God wants us to love the poor, the stranger, the thirsty, the needy and the imprisoned just as much as we love him.

Christ preached a message of love - but how many of us prioritize it?

Not just our love for our spouses or love for our children - real love for everyone, a love without judgement, impatience and greed.

Love doesn't stop there.

Ephesians 5:25-26 states: "Husbands should love their wives, just as Christ loved the Church and sacrificed himself for her to make her holy by washing her in cleansing water with a form of words."

This verse tells us our second priority should be our spouse.

God has called us to be passionate about our spouses just as Christ was passionate about the Church.

In everything, God must come first and our spouse must come second. We can love Christ and our spouse simultaneously by respecting our spouses and offering words of love, kindness and encouragement.

Remember, a husband and wife are one flesh, so loving our spouse is the same as loving ourselves. The result of this union is children, who must also be a priority.

Without our guidance, how can children grow to love God, their spouse or themselves?

This also plays into our relationships with our families.

Even the ones we struggle to love sometimes.

Part of loving one another is forgiveness.

Galatians 5:13 tells us we were called to be free and not to abuse that freedom with self-indulgence, but to use it to "serve one another in love."

You can't force people to forgive but it you've wronged someone, you can at least apologize and ask for forgiveness. You can also reach out to the people who have wronged you and offer peace.

Over and over the Bible refers to love, respect and peace. These should be our priorities and we need to do everything in our power to achieve them.

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