Living like Jesus is about understanding priorities.  In Matthew 6:33, Jesus says "Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. ”  So many times we who are people of faith are guilty of operating in a backwards fashion.  We make seeking things our priority rather than prioritizing seeking  the kingdom and righteousness of  a God who can add things to our lives.  Consumerism and materialism permeates our society.  As people of God, we have to constantly renew our minds that we may not conform to the world and that we may follow the words and the example of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.     

From a very early age, Jesus understood the importance of prioritizing the kingdom of God and God’s righteousness.  As early as they could, Jesus’ parents brought Him to the House of God--the temple at Jerusalem.  There they introduced Him to God and dedicated His life to God.   It is no coincidence that we read what the scriptures record in Luke 2:41-52.   This story tells us how Jesus got lost on his first visit to Jerusalem and the temple.  When His parents find Him after much searching, His words are an indication that at a young age, He understands who and what should be priority for the person of God.  He makes it clear by His statement that His Father, God, and God’s business is His chief priority.  His words are instructive for those of us who seek to follow Jesus and to live as He lived.  We learn from His words that in order live as He lived we must put God first and at the center of all that we do. According to Luke (KJV), Jesus said I “must” be about my Father’s business. He used a word that is an imperative.  What “musts” do you and I have in our lives as it relates to God?  If we are serious about being children of God and living like Jesus, we shouldn’t be content to say things like, “I am going to try and go to church” or “I am going to try to go to Bible study” or better yet, “I am going to think and pray about volunteering for the church or serving in a ministry.”   If we are truly committed to God, we should speak words and have the kind of postures that exhibit that God and God’s business is a major priority for our lives. However, this commitment should also be evident by where we go and what we do.