Amy Shero: Summer Devo Series

Amy Shero: Okay, so again, we're talking about priorities.
Okay, so think about your to-do list real quick.
So mentally, what your to-do list is,
it's probably really long like mine.
So when you think about that list,
where does the kingdom fall in that list?
So a lot of us wanna say, oh, it's right at the top, right?
It's number one all the time,
but let's be real, it's probably not.
So I'm gonna give my husband a little bit of credit
since I just told y'all my dog takes priority,
but he gave me this idea.
So he is a nursing informaticist.
So he's a nurse, he does something with computers,
that's all I know.
I know nothing else besides that.
But he uses this tool that he calls Moscow.
So this is something that he writes in his notebook
every single day.
He makes a list of the things he has to get done,
and this will make a lot sense once I show you.
So this is Moscow.
This is what he writes in his notebook every day.
So you see, we'll make lines through the O,
put one right down the middle,
and this is our list for the day.
So we would do this once a day.
So M stands for must do,
S is for what we should do,
C is what we could do,
W is what we won't do, okay?
So when you're looking at this,
most of my list whenever I do this in my notepad
is all of this stuff.
It's stuff that I have to get done, right?
This is what I have to do today.
This is what I should do today.
Hopefully I'll get to it.
This is what I could do if I have some time.
This is what I probably won't get to today.
So the really cool thing about this list is,
so if you do it every day,
you get to the end and you see your won't do things,
you move those to the could do the next day.
If you don't get to those,
you do those to the,
move it to the should do,
and then hopefully by the end of the week
or whatever your deadline is,
it's eventually at the must do, okay?
So when we look at Moscow and we think about kingdom,
where is the kingdom fall?
Where does yours fall?
Where does the kingdom,
how important is it on your to do list?
So we probably look at this and we're like,
okay, must do, should do, could do are important ones.
And then we get to our won't do and we're like,
well, maybe that's not priority.
But a lot of times I feel like we focus so much on this
and it makes all this seem really overwhelming, right?
So we all work at LCU.
We all take pride in the Christian education.
I know all of us would be so thrilled
if we could each get 500 students a piece here
and raise all the money in the world
to do whatever we wanted to do, right?
I always have students asking me,
well, can we get this weight machine?
Can we get this weight machine?
Do you have $20,000 that you can give me
to get this weight machine, right?
So on our priority list, where does the kingdom fall?
So as Christians, we probably, again,
we probably look at the won't do
and think that's something
that we're not gonna accomplish,
but the good news is that Jesus helps us
with those won't dos, right?
So everything that we can't do, Jesus can do,
and that's really, that's a good feeling.
So for example, we can't force anybody to accept Jesus.
Only he can do that.
Only God can work in people's hearts.
We plant the seed and God has to do the rest.
So we don't wanna run any of the good kingdom work
that we're doing by focusing on things we can't control.
So we wanna do what we can,
so the must dos and the should dos,
and prioritize the kingdom,
hopefully putting that at the front of our list.
So when we work together, we can accomplish things.
Working within our sphere of influence,
so I'm not gonna do the same thing Shirley does, right?
Shirley is so much cooler than me.
She sits up there, sees all the students.
I see a very select amount of people in the rec center.
She's gonna see people that I never do.
So working in our sphere of influence
and figuring out where our priorities should be from there.
The really cool thing is also we get the amazing benefit
of working at LCU,
Christian environment with Christian people.
And so really when we think about our kingdom priorities,
they should be pretty high.
So I have a really short list
of what kingdom priorities should look like.
These are obviously not extensive,
but I think these are some important ones.
So in these, this is the spiritual application.
This is where some scripture comes in.
So the greatest commandment, right?
Love each other, love God.
Okay, pretty simple.
If we're doing that with our students,
all of these other to do things,
our priority list is just gonna come a lot easier.
So one thing that I like to remember
with the greatest command is that our love for God
isn't separate from our love for others, right?
So if we love God, we gotta love people.
And that's all people.
We have to love everybody.
So to me, I think that's the most important one.
So Matthew 22, 36 through 39,
they're talking to Jesus,
asking him what command in the law is the greatest.
He said to him, "Love the Lord your God
with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind.
This is the greatest and most important command.
And the second is like it, love your neighbor as yourself."
Second one.
So when we're looking at our priority list,
let's look at it through a lens of eternal perspective.
Okay, so Matthew 6, 33,
but seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness
and all these things will be provided for you.
So I really liked this lady is,
I can't remember her name,
but I've been reading some devos from her just on my phone.
And she says, "If we're truly occupied
with seeking God's kingdom and his righteousness,
we won't have the time or inclination
to worry about what to eat, drink, or wear.
We'll be spending our time trusting him fully
rather than doubting and worrying.
He provides what is needed
for those who leave the details to him."
The third one, so still going with eternal perspective,
setting our minds on things above
and not on earthly things, Colossians 3, 2.
Remembering that there's only one way to heaven,
that's through Jesus, John 14, 6.
And then the two most that I really resonate with
is make disciples.
So one really cool opportunity that we get here
is our priority can be making disciples.
My husband works at UMC, that is not a priority for them.
Okay, but here at LCU,
we're able to spread the gospel and teach our students that
and as well as teach each other.
So Matthew 28, 19 through 20,
"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father
and of the Son and the Holy Spirit,
teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you."
And then I wish Coach Duncan was here
because this is my favorite one, Colossians 3, 2, 3.
"Whatever you do, work heartily for the Lord
and not for men."
So I'm gonna go back to this again.
My husband and I talk a lot about the differences
between here and UMC.
He has a boss that is not anything
like my wonderful bosses over here, Randall and Josh.
His boss doesn't pray for him.
His boss doesn't care where the kingdom falls
on his Moscow list.
Okay, mine do, okay.
And that's what's really cool
about working at a place like this.
So Colossians 3, 2, 3,
"Whatever you do, work heartily as for the Lord
and not for men."
And I know Coach Duncan does that with his boys.
So this verse is not telling us
that we don't need to work for men.
I work for two, okay?
Three, counting President McDowell.
But here, Paul is telling us that whatever work we do,
we should be doing it for a purpose
higher than the people we work for or with.
We should always consider that God sees our work ethic
and our behavior and even our thoughts as we do our work.
And all of our work is a form of worship
as we consider ourselves doing it for the Lord.
So if you didn't get anything,
if you think my Moscow is weird,
if you don't go write it in your notebook, that's fine.
But if anything out of this, I want you to get that.
Even if you don't feel like you're doing kingdom work
in the rec, a lot of times I don't, okay?
I'm there vacuuming up dirt off the floor.
I'm cleaning sweat off a machine, okay?
That doesn't really feel like kingdom work.
But just know that wherever you're working here,
if that kingdom work is on the top of your Moscow list,
then you're doing kingdom work.
You're doing what you're supposed to do, okay?
So that's all I have, let's pray.
Lord, you're so good.
And we're so thankful for another day
on your beautiful earth.
Thank you so much for the people
that are surrounding me today, Lord,
and all of our people on campus.
And I pray that as we go through a new semester,
that you guide and direct our steps,
that you help us to always make your kingdom
our first priority, Lord.
And that when our students step on this campus,
they see your kingdom working here.
They see us spreading your kingdom
and they see us doing the work
that you would want us to do, Lord,
as we're working for you and not for men.
Lord, again, I just thank you for the blessing of LCU
and the blessing of getting to work at a Christian space
where we can proclaim your name
and let others, people that step on this campus
know about you, Father.
I pray that, again, you just guide us and direct us.
You lead all of our steps as we go into this new semester,
and that you give us peace and you give us strength,
and you bring a sense of renewal on this campus
as our students arrive.
And again, just put your kingdom
at the forefront of our minds at all times.
And it's in your name we pray, amen.