Now or Later

"Dad, can you come read a story with me?"  My daughter Anna asked plaintively.

"In just a few minutes," I said.  I was working on something that wasn't terribly important, but I didn't want to leave it till I was done with it.

I am sure that I am not alone in making my children wait.  Sometime there are important things that just need completion prior to anything else.

In Matthew 4, Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee and discovered John, James, Peter, and Andrew with their nets and asked them to follow Him.  The Scripture records that "Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed Him."

The priority that I give to a request, or command tells the person asking it how important they are to me.  I am afraid that all too often, I have left my children with them impression that "my stuff" is more important to me than they are.

It is even more important that I give a sense of urgency to the requests that my Savior makes upon my life.  For, if Jesus is All the World to Me, then the world must wait while I follow Jesus' voice and not the other way around.

I may try to put Jesus on hold when He calls, hoping to pick up the call when I am ready, but He may not still be there.  If Jesus is not given first place, He will have no place in my life.