Priorities
“Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.’”
Matthew 16:24, NIV
One of my favorite ways to connect to God is through worship music! If you see me and I have headphones in, I’m most likely listening to it, but I wouldn’t say that’s my favorite genre of music. My favorite genre of music is Christian hip hop or CHH for short. It is exactly what you think it is: hip hop music that is Christian, lyrics that are scripture-filled, pointing people to Christ and/or worshipping God with a beat.
My favorite artist of all time from CHH is Andy Mineo. Any chance I get to play his music for others or share about him, I get so excited. You could even say because of Andy Mineo I got into CHH. I would personally say he is a lyrical genius when it comes to writing songs! The way he uses words to convey meaning or thought has been super influential in my life and walk with Christ, one of those songs being “Priorities” from his “Neverland II” album, which released in 2021. It is just one simple line in his second verse, but it is one that convicts me every time. It goes:
“I want a hundred percent from God,
But only wan’ give Him a quarter of me”
Many Christians fall to this mentality, including myself. Instead of opening my Bible, I’ll watch a YouTube video or, instead of taking time to pray, I’ll lay down and take a nap. There will even be times when I tell myself I should spend some time with God but choose another activity over it or make an excuse that I don’t have time for it. Some would say, I have my priorities mixed up.
As I think about my priorities, I think of Matthew 16:24. Have I truly been denying myself and carrying my cross or, in other words, have I been letting my selfish desires die? Have I truly been prioritizing God in my life? Jesus doesn’t want a quarter of us, but all of us. He tells us in Matthew 22:37, NIV: “Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all of your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’”
Andy Mineo ends verse two of “Priorities” with this:
“We make the time for the things that we love
You tell me what are your priorities”
So, what are your priorities? What selfishness needs to die, so that you can follow Christ better? Deny them and carry your cross with me in 2025!
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