What Got Ditched
Theme for the Week: Setting Priorities
Doug McIntosh
Friday, August 10, 2001
 1 of 1
Key Bible Verse: "What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?" (Mark 8:36).
Bonus Reading: Mark 8:34-35
Several years ago, a group of courageous individuals attempted the first crossing of the Atlantic in a hot air balloon. They'd almost made it when the balloon began to lose altitude. They were still miles from the coast of France, so clearly they weren't going to make it without lightening their craft. All their ballast was already tossed overboard, so they began looking for other items to jettison.
They tried chopping away part of the gondola, but the effort was taking too long, so they had no choice. They began to throw away items ordinarily considered essential. They tossed out their navigational computers, then jettisoned the radio they'd been using to stay in touch with friends. Cameras, clothes, food, and valuable equipmentall sank beneath the waves because the presence of these items interfered with gaining their objectivewhich had necessarily shifted to survival.
When the goal is clear, the choices become easier, though still painful. Unfortunately, Christian pilgrims don't always see the urgency of their own spiritual decisions, even though God has gone to great lengths to cause us to think clearly.
Doug McIntosh in Life's Greatest Journey Respond:
If push came to shove, _____ would take on less importance in my life. Thought to Apply:
If you attempt to talk with a dying man about sports or business, he is no longer interested.
William Law (English devotional writer, 18th century)
Adapted from: Life's Greatest Journey (Moody Press, Moody Bible Institute, 2000)
For your convenience, Life's Greatest Journey is available in the ChristianityToday.com bookstore.
Copyright © 2001 by the author or Christianity Today, Inc./Men of Integrity magazine.
Click here for reprint information on Men of Integrity. 1 of 1
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Lord Jesus, thank You for using the hard times of life to rearrange my priorities.
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