I have known some ridiculously successful people who were just as miserable in life as they were successful. No matter how much worldly success they enjoyed, they were never satisfied.
- They never have enough money.
- Their houses were never big enough.
- Their vacations never grand enough.
You get the idea.
Whatever they had, it was never enough. They were never satisfied.
I can’t say I’m surprised. I’ve found you’ll never be satisfied while your priorities are out of God’s will for your life!
A similar situation occurred when the Israelites attempted to rebuild the Temple of God. They learned quickly that when their priorities were out of God’s will, they simply never had enough.
Haggai’s Four Calls to Leaders
In 538 B.C., Cyrus, King of Persia, allowed about 50,000 Israelites to leave Babylon and return to Judah. Cyrus specifically ordered the returning Israelites to rebuild the Temple of God in Jerusalem.
The Israelites initially followed the King’s proclamation to rebuild the Temple. It wasn’t long, however, before the people stopped working on the Temple of God to build homes for themselves.
Distressed that the people were not rebuilding the Temple of God, the prophet Haggai issued four specific calls on the leaders and the people.
A Call to Completion
Haggai’s first call on Judah’s leaders and people was to get their priority back on God. They had focused on their desire for fancy homes for themselves while the Temple of God sat in a state of ruin.
Through Haggai, God warned them to give careful thought to their ways. God stopped blessing them because their focus was on their own selfish desires and not on God (Haggai 1:5-11).
The people’s response to the warning was to resume work restoring the Temple of God.
A Call to Courage
Haggai’s second call on the leaders and people of Judah was to be strong and courageous. The people had become discouraged at the enormity of rebuilding the Temple.
Through Haggai, God assured the people He would be with them throughout the rebuilding process. He encouraged them, saying the rebuilt Temple would be even grander than the original, and they would have peace in the land (Haggai 2:1-9).
A Call to Cleansing
Haggai’s third call on the leaders and people of Judah was to cleanse themselves and remain pure. Haggai reminded the people how God had withheld His blessing on the people because their hearts were not on God (Haggai 2:10-19).
If the people served God and followed His commands, God promised to bless the people from that day on.
A Call to the Chosen
Haggai’s fourth call was explicitly directed to Zerubbabel, the leader of the people in Judah. God assured Zerubbabel; He would overthrow Judah’s enemies because He had chosen the people of Judah (Haggai 2:20-23).
Focus on God’s Priorities
The story of the remnant who returned to Judah is a dramatic example of what happens when we fail to keep the priorities of our life focused on God.
The Israelites started following God and His priority to rebuild the Temple. Their selfish desires soon caused them to abandon their work on the Temple. They fell away from God and His priorities.
The result of their spiritual rebellion was they subsequently lost God’s blessing. Their crops did not yield as expected, their food was scarce, and they did not have enough money to meet their needs. Without God’s blessing, they never had enough to be satisfied.
When the people recommitted themselves to God, God’s blessings were restored, and His promised protection was renewed.
We face the same challenge to keep our focus on God’s priorities today! We can spend our time and treasure on so many things that it is easy to get distracted and ignore God’s call.
Leaders, we must keep our focus on God and His priorities! The example of our spiritual commitment is critical. If the people see leaders abandoning God’s priorities, the people will follow quickly. Therefore,
- We must stay focused on the work God has called us to do,
- We must have courage, trusting God will enable us to do whatever He has called us to do, and
- We must hold ourselves and our organizations accountable by keeping the focus on God and His priorities.
No matter how much worldly success we enjoy, we will never experience all of God’s blessing, and we will never be satisfied while our priorities misalign with God’s will.
More Articles
I have written several articles on leadership priorities. You can find them by typing “Priorities” in the search bar. Meanwhile, here are a few of my favorites.
- #386: Why Is It Important to Hoe the Weeds?
- #358: The Ruined Day That God Turned into A Wonderful Day
- #283: Being Busy Is Not the Same Thing as Doing Things That Matter!
- #093: Nine Keys to Fulfilling Christianity
- #044: Five Requirements to Finish the Race Well!
Join the Conversation
As always, questions and comments are welcome. Have there been times when you felt dissatisfied and realized it was because you were operating outside God’s will for your life?
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Category: Personal Development | Priorities
