One Last Chew: When Priorities Change

I love fall!

There is just something special about this time of year. The air gets crisp, the mountains turn into a beautiful patchwork of red, orange, and gold, and hunting season starts kicking into high gear.

I remember one little girl riding our church bus who looked out the window and said, "It looks like it's raining leaves!"

I thought that was about as good a description of fall as I'd ever heard. Sometimes children have a way of seeing God's creation that makes the rest of us stop and appreciate what we've been overlooking.

But fall also brings something else around my house: the annual struggle of getting my priorities in order.

You have to balance church, family, work, and, of course, hunting season.

Now, I know hunting isn't the most important thing in life. But when you've got a good dog, a beautiful fall morning, and a little time to slip off into the woods, sometimes you have to remind yourself of that fact!

And that brings me to a story about a good buddy of mine who learned something about priorities when he was getting ready to become a daddy.

Years ago, he found out that he and his wife were expecting their first child.

Now, becoming a father is a big deal. There are all kinds of changes that come with it. Your sleeping habits change, your spending habits change, and before long you discover that a little person weighing about eight pounds can run an entire household without ever holding a job.

Well, my buddy had a habit his wife wasn't particularly fond of.

He loved chewing tobacco, and not just any tobacco. He was a Redman Gold Blend man.

His wife had been after him for some time to quit. She didn't think it was good for his health, and she certainly didn't want their child growing up watching Daddy walk around with a jaw full of tobacco and a spit cup nearby.

So one day she sat him down and explained that becoming parents meant their priorities were going to have to change. He listened, thought about it, and finally made her a promise. "Honey, I'll tell you what. When this baby is born, I'll quit chewing tobacco. And I'm a man of my word!"

Now, that sounded pretty good.

He wasn't quitting that day, mind you. He wasn't quitting the next week either. But he had drawn a line in the sand.

When that baby arrived, the tobacco was going away. His wife was pleased, and life went on.

As the due date approached, the excitement grew. The nursery was getting ready, the baby clothes were washed, and everything was falling into place.

Then one night, around three o'clock in the morning, my buddy was sound asleep.

Suddenly, his wife shook him awake.

"Honey! Wake up! My water just broke!"

He said he came out of that bed like somebody had fired a shotgun in the bedroom.

He jumped up, threw the covers back, and took off running through the house.

His wife hollered after him.

"Honey! Are you getting my clothes?"

Without slowing down, he hollered back:

"NO! I'M GETTING ME A CHEW!"

Apparently, he intended to enjoy every last minute of that promise!

Now, I laugh every time I think about that story, but there's a little more truth in it than we might want to admit.

My buddy knew he needed to make a change. He knew something more important was coming into his life. He had even committed himself to doing the right thing.

But he was determined to hold on to the old thing for as long as he possibly could.

And if we're not careful, we can approach our relationship with God the same way.

We know we need to spend more time in His Word, but we'll start next week.

We know we need to make more time for our family, but we'll do that when work slows down.

We know we ought to serve the Lord more faithfully, but we're waiting until life gets a little less busy.

We know there are things in our lives that need to change, but we want to enjoy them just a little longer.

And before we know it, we've spent years putting temporary things ahead of eternal ones.

Jesus said in Matthew 6:33: "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." (KJV)

He said seek it FIRST.

That means God doesn't simply get a spot somewhere on our list of priorities.

He is to be the One who determines how we order everything else on that list. Now, don't misunderstand me. There's nothing wrong with enjoying the blessings God has given us.

I love spending time in the woods. I enjoy hunting, fishing, working outdoors, and watching a good dog do what God created it to do. There's nothing wrong with working hard, enjoying a hobby, or planning a vacation.

Jesus asked a powerful question in Mark 8:36: "For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" (KJV)

Think about that for a minute.

You can own the finest hunting land in the county, have a truck that costs more than your grandparents' first house, and own enough guns to outfit a small army. But one day, somebody else is going to own every bit of it. That truck will rust. Those guns will change hands. The trophies on the wall will collect dust, and somebody may eventually sell them at a yard sale for five dollars apiece.

If you've ever been to a yard sale, you know somebody will still offer three!

But the souls of the people around you are eternal. The time you spend teaching your children about Jesus matters. The opportunities you take to share the gospel matter.

The love you show your spouse, the encouragement you give a struggling friend, and the investment you make in the next generation for the glory of God all have significance far beyond this life.

Paul wrote in Colossians 3:2: "Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth." (KJV)

Paul wasn't telling us to ignore our earthly responsibilities. He was reminding us that our earthly lives should be directed by heavenly priorities.

And Jesus told us in Matthew 6:19–21 not to lay up treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, but to lay up treasures in heaven.

He finished with this powerful truth:

"For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." (Matthew 6:21, KJV)

That's a pretty good test of our priorities.

What are we willing to sacrifice for?

And perhaps the biggest question of all:

Are we investing more in things we're going to leave behind than in things that will matter for eternity?

As I sit here thinking about the fall leaves, I'm reminded of how quickly the seasons change.

Just a few weeks ago, those trees were covered in beautiful green leaves. Now they're turning brilliant colors, and before long, the branches will be bare.

James 4:14 reminds us that our lives are like a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.

Life moves quickly.

And just like my buddy running through the house at three in the morning, we can get so busy grabbing one last chew of what this world has to offer that we forget what really matters.

One day, hunting season will be over for the last time. One day, we'll make our last trip to the mountains, cast our last fishing line, and sit on the front porch watching the leaves fall for the last time. And when that day comes, it won't matter how many deer we harvested, how much money we accumulated, or how many possessions we managed to collect.

What will matter is whether we knew Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior and how faithfully we lived for Him.

The greatest treasure we can ever possess is not something we can buy, build, hunt, or earn. It's the gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ.

So enjoy the fall. Take that hunting trip. Spend time with your family. Thank God for the beautiful world He's given us.

But don't let the temporary blessings of this life crowd out the eternal things that matter most.

Because when eternity comes calling, you don't want to be running through the house trying to get one last chew of this world.