Priorities

The last week was crazy.  I barely had enough time to sleep and entered the weekend extremely tired, physically.  Why?  Well, God blessed Oles and I by our engagement and we had to run around Kiev last week trying to fill out paper work in order for me to stay here in Ukraine past my 90 days.

So we were doing all the paperwork and traveling on top of all the normal stuff I do every week here. I was also thinking a lot about English clubs and how to prepare for it, how to conduct it etc, and it was exhausting, just thinking bout where to start.

Last night I expressed to Oles all my concerns about my schedule and confusion about how I should prioritize my time here in Kiev.  So, we got out my phone and made a list of how my priorities should be so that I can most glorify God with my time. So far today, I have referred to several times to check myself and how I'm using my time.

Priorities:

1. My prayer life and time in meditation - listening for the Holy Spirit and what he's telling me to do. 

2. Reading and learning scripture (basically just as important as number one, because they always go together).

3. Filling any free time with preaching, reading christian books, other spiritual things that will help me to grow in my relationship with God.

4. Quality time with my parents and sisters.  I need to schedule regular times each week when I can just meet with them individually to talk and spend time together, because before I am married, they are my next priority in relationships next to God.  Make sure to pray about them everyday and tell them I am praying for them.Ephesians 6:1-4 "Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.” Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord"

5. Care about my roommates and their physical and spiritual needs.  They are my closest neighbors, and the bible says I should care about my neighbors.  Mark 12:31 "The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”"

6. Care about Oles, my fiancee, and his needs.

7. My personal time of rest - specifically caring for my physical needs

8. All of my ministries - including English clubs, orphanage visits, children's ministry

9. Time spent with other friends and planning my life (wedding stuff specifically)

10. Learning Russian

This might not be the perfect order for everything in my life, but generally, on the level of importance for growing God's kingdom and storing up treasures in heaven, I think this is how my priorities should be.

The last few weeks I've realized that my priorities are not right most of the time here in Ukraine.  I think this is due partly my sinful nature as a human being, partly my personality, and partly my American culture clashing with Ukrainian culture.  I try to put God first always, but everything after that can often fall in any order of importance in my mind, and it usually causes me stress when I realize I haven't done something that is important.  It's a daily challenge to figure out the best way to manage my time, especially when I'm still experiencing cultural shock every day (language, people, transportation, culture, food, etc...)

Today I prayed that God would fill me first with the longing for him and his word, and second that He would fill me with the love for others, more than the love for myself.

Please pray for me, that I will continue to seek God first above all things and make Him the highest priority and the most precious relationship in my life.  He is indeed worthy of my time and my affections!

Matt 6:33 "But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."