Setting Priorities of Life
Setting Priorities in Life.
Haggai 1-2
“You have sown much, but harvested little; you eat, but there is not enough to be satisfied; you drink, but there is not enough to become drunk; you put on clothing, but no one is warm enough; and he who earns, earns wages to put into a purse with holes” (1:6).
The greatest tragedy is not failure but success in the things that do not matter. We are always pursuing elusive desires, thinking that if we get enough, we will be satisfied and content. However, the reality is that no matter how much we have, no matter how much we do or how great our achievements, we are always left with a feeling of failure. Contentment remains elusive. For the people of Israel, when they were able to return to the land of Israel after 70 years in captivity, they thought their greatest desires would be fulfilled. After longing to return to their homeland, they thought once they were back in the land of Israel they would have peace and contentment. However, the harder they worked and the more they pursued their desires, the more unsatisfied they became. They pursued all the things that we think will bring contentment but still remained empty and unsatisfied. In 1:9 we find the reason for their dissatisfaction. They were pursuing the wrong things for the wrong reasons and for the wrong desires. They, like us, were focused on the temporal and the personal rather than the spiritual and eternal. They were pursuing their own desires rather than seeking to serve God. Temporal things will only bring temporal satisfaction that is not lasting.
In the last part of verse 9, we find the reason for their dissatisfaction: They were pursuing the wrong priorities. To find joy and satisfaction in life, we need to pursue the eternal rather than the temporal, and prioritize God’s will rather than our own pleasure. The people were pursuing the building of their own house but neglecting the house of God. In chapter 2, Haggai reminds them that their priority was to rebuild the temple of God, not because God needed a house to live in, but because the people needed to remember that their ultimate purpose in life is found in God, not in themselves. Even when they started to rebuild the temple, they still focused on the present and the physical rather than the eternal and the spiritual. Those who had seen the majestic Temple of Solomon were lamenting that the new temple was nothing in comparison. And so they discouraged the people.
As a result, God reminded them that it is not what we accomplish or how much recognition we receive that matters. It was not the size or greatness of the temple that made it adequate for a place of worship. What determined the greatness of the temple was that God was present and would be in the temple with his people. God does not need us, our wealth, or our abilities. Rather, we need to give to God and serve him, for it reminds us that genuine significance does not come from the things we desire but from our service and relationship with God. It is in the pursuit of the eternal that we find genuine fulfillment and significance. True joy and fulfillment in life come when we focus on God and his purpose for our lives (2:18-19). If life seems empty and without significance, refocus on serving God and his kingdom agenda for the world, and we discover what is genuinely eternal and fulfilling.
Haggai 1-2
“You have sown much, but harvested little; you eat, but there is not enough to be satisfied; you drink, but there is not enough to become drunk; you put on clothing, but no one is warm enough; and he who earns, earns wages to put into a purse with holes” (1:6).
The greatest tragedy is not failure but success in the things that do not matter. We are always pursuing elusive desires, thinking that if we get enough, we will be satisfied and content. However, the reality is that no matter how much we have, no matter how much we do or how great our achievements, we are always left with a feeling of failure. Contentment remains elusive. For the people of Israel, when they were able to return to the land of Israel after 70 years in captivity, they thought their greatest desires would be fulfilled. After longing to return to their homeland, they thought once they were back in the land of Israel they would have peace and contentment. However, the harder they worked and the more they pursued their desires, the more unsatisfied they became. They pursued all the things that we think will bring contentment but still remained empty and unsatisfied. In 1:9 we find the reason for their dissatisfaction. They were pursuing the wrong things for the wrong reasons and for the wrong desires. They, like us, were focused on the temporal and the personal rather than the spiritual and eternal. They were pursuing their own desires rather than seeking to serve God. Temporal things will only bring temporal satisfaction that is not lasting.
In the last part of verse 9, we find the reason for their dissatisfaction: They were pursuing the wrong priorities. To find joy and satisfaction in life, we need to pursue the eternal rather than the temporal, and prioritize God’s will rather than our own pleasure. The people were pursuing the building of their own house but neglecting the house of God. In chapter 2, Haggai reminds them that their priority was to rebuild the temple of God, not because God needed a house to live in, but because the people needed to remember that their ultimate purpose in life is found in God, not in themselves. Even when they started to rebuild the temple, they still focused on the present and the physical rather than the eternal and the spiritual. Those who had seen the majestic Temple of Solomon were lamenting that the new temple was nothing in comparison. And so they discouraged the people.
As a result, God reminded them that it is not what we accomplish or how much recognition we receive that matters. It was not the size or greatness of the temple that made it adequate for a place of worship. What determined the greatness of the temple was that God was present and would be in the temple with his people. God does not need us, our wealth, or our abilities. Rather, we need to give to God and serve him, for it reminds us that genuine significance does not come from the things we desire but from our service and relationship with God. It is in the pursuit of the eternal that we find genuine fulfillment and significance. True joy and fulfillment in life come when we focus on God and his purpose for our lives (2:18-19). If life seems empty and without significance, refocus on serving God and his kingdom agenda for the world, and we discover what is genuinely eternal and fulfilling.
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