There are a lot of things we do in life that require us to make a distinction between what's important and what is imperative. Imperative simply means, absolutely necessary, required or unavoidable.
In the story of Mary and Martha found in Luke chapter 10, Jesus said concerning Martha...You are worried and bothered about many things, but only a few things are necessary (imperative) really only one, and Mary has chosen the best. Martha was so busy doing the important that she missed the imperative. Pastor Steve Dixon of Christian Life Cathedral in Fayetteville Arkansas tweeted...."Good things are bad things when they keep us from best things". We've all heard the saying, "Good is the enemy of Great"! We can become so distracted by the important that we miss the imperative, but when we take care of the imperative the important gets done with a lot less effort, distraction, worry and fretting. It's important that we discipline our children but it's more imperative that we be good examples. It's important that I attend church but it's more imperative that I attend to my relationship with God. Now, some may feel that attending church IS attending to your relationship with God. I would agree with that only if you aren't depending on "church attendance" as your sole focus in building relationship with God.
A willingness to "change" is imperative to relationship building with God. Only when we choose to embrace change will we go from Good to Great. Only when we choose to embrace change will we Grow in the Knowledge and the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.( II Peter 3:18) Perception alone does not create change, decision does. Our conduct in life will change to the degree our attitude changes toward what's important and what's imperative. We've become what we are "today" because of the decisions we made "yesterday"!!
Is it important that you hold that grudge, or is it imperative that you let it go? Is it important that you allow the past to control your life, or is it imperative to forget those things which are behind and reach for those things that are ahead? Is it important that you keep doing the things you've done for 40 years or is it imperative to embrace God's new thing? Change doesn't' come easy, it's not only important that things change but imperative. If we're not careful our past will have a greater pull on us than our future.
God wants to put your life in a forward motion. The Children of Israel came to the banks of the Jordan with a decision. The decision...."Do we want to continue to wander in the wilderness, or do we want to finally cross over this Jordan"? It was imperative that they cross over. Their future was on the other side of this decision. God has fresh revelation for the church just like the fresh manna he provided the Israelites in the wilderness. We can't survive on yesterday's manna, or revelation. We are being presumptuous if we think we can reach people in the 21st century with 20th century revelation. It's imperative that the Love of God and the Fruit of the Spirit be manifested in and through today's Spirit Filled Believer; only then will the Gifts of the Spirit be manifested.
The Imperative: Love the Lord your God and your Neighbor as yourself. Forgive one another. Be at Peace with God, with yourself and with others.
God has an up-to-date word for each of us that will address our current situation and circumstances if we will not allow the important to interfere with the imperative.
Blessings,
Terry Baker
