Prioritizing God’s Word

Jared Williams and Allen Scott were faithful members of Kingston Baptist Church. Both had been members since their childhood. One Sunday after morning worship, as Pastor Carter entered the parking lot, he overheard a loud and contentious argument between Jared and Allen. Pastor Carter walked up to both men and asked, “Brothers, what seems to be the problem?” Jared answered first and said, “I’m trying to tell Allen that I appreciate all of his work at the church and in the community for the Lord Jesus Christ, but it is not more important than Christian education and attending Sunday School and Wednesday Bible Study.” Allen quickly responded, “I don’t get to attend Christian education classes like Jared because I’m always doing something for the Lord. Jared needs to try serving with me, and he’ll understand why I don’t attend all those classes.” Jared chimed in again and said, “Pastor Carter, tell Allen that going to Christian Education classes and prioritizing God’s Word is more important than serving.”

Pastor Carter said, “Are you guys suggesting that Christian education and serving should be an either/or when it’s an and/both. Brothers, we need Christian education and Christian service in the body of Christ.”

The conflict between Jared and Allen is not new within the body of Christ. Long before Jared and Allen disagreed about Christian education and Christian service, two sisters in Luke’s gospel account had diverging opinions about it as well.

In Luke 10:39-42, Luke provides the narrative of Jesus at the home of Martha and Mary. While Martha busied herself with the social obligation of preparing a meal for Jesus and His disciples, Mary gave her attention to prioritizing God’s Word (Luke 10:39-40). Frustrated by her sister’s actions, Martha directs the Lord to admonish Mary for not helping her serve (Luke 10:40). Contrastingly, Jesus refuses to do as Martha directed and points out that Martha focused on many things when she only needed to focus on the one thing her sister had chosen, listening to the Word (Luke 10:40). In His final word to Martha, Jesus prioritizes listening to the Word of God when He says, “Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her” (Luke 10:42).

Jesus demonstrated that the Christian life is about being before doing. Thus, He was not suggesting that Mary should never focus on Christian service. However, He placed things in their proper perspective by placing Christian education before Christian service; being before doing. In John 15:5, Jesus shares, “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.” Jesus teaches us that the Christian life is about an “in” and “through” relationship. Before the Lord works “through” us, He must first work “in” us. One of the ways that the Lord works “in” us is through our intake of the Word.

In Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, Donald S. Whitney argues that the key to a healthy Christian life is the believer’s intake of God’s Word. Nowhere, other than God’s word, can Christians find the essentials needed for understanding the divine plan for Christlike living. As believers take in God’s Word, the Holy Spirit can utilize His Word in their lives. Thus, every believer should apply God’s Word and utilize the power of God’s Spirit through Christian service. Kent Hughes provides a terse but informative explanation of Christian service when he writes: “Ministering hearts are disciplined to labor, for they regularly move beyond their comfort zone, they put themselves in vulnerable spots, they make commitments which cost, they get tired for Christ’s sake, they pay the price, and they encounter rough seas. But their sails billow full of God’s Spirit.”

To this end, the goal should be a healthy balance between Christian education and Christian service. We should prioritize listening to God’s Word through various means like Sunday Morning Becoming (Sunday School), Wednesday Midday and Evening Becoming Sessions (Bible Study), and other ministry sessions that consist of opportunities to hear God’s Word. As we continue to intake God’s Word, our goal should be fleshing out the Word through Christian service that utilizes our spiritual gifts to meet the needs of others in the body of Christ and beyond. Again, the key is to balance Christian education and Christian service.

Today, do your best never to become too busy to prioritize God’s Word. Never fail to flesh out God’s Word through faithful and gifted service unto others that glorifies the Father.