At the end of his article, Dr. Elmore provides an example of emphasizing “what really matters”:

Deanna was a high school student who usually made good grades, but she stood out most to her teachers for her compassion.  They all noticed the way she reached out to fellow students who didn’t seem to understand a subject.  She consistently took time to be there for classmates who needed help, or encouragement or, perhaps, they just needed another person with whom to sit.  Deanna lived to serve others.

One semester, her chemistry teacher was forced to give her a poor grade.  He hated to do so, since Deanna worked harder than any student in his class.  But, alas, she had earned a D, and he knew he had to grade fairly.  His statement on her report card said it all.  Next to the D, he wrote a note for both Deanna and her parents to see:

“We cannot all be chemists, but oh, how we would all love to be Deannas.”

Let's make sure we’re emphasizing what really matters and not misplacing our priorities. *

He’s right!

Then what really matters?

Let’s name the top two priorities:  “One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating.  Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked Him, ‘Of all the commandments, which is the most important?’  ‘The most important one,’ answered Jesus, ‘is this: “Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.  Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.”  The second is this: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”  There is no commandment greater than these.’” – Mark 12:28-31 NIV

Loving God supremely and loving others as ourselves; these are the two greatest priorities.

And why, other than the fact that these commandments come from the Creator of the universe, should we make these two commandments our top two priorities?

Because the Creator of the universe also loves us and wants to save us.

God loves us so much that He gave His one and only Son Jesus to die on the cross to pay the price for redemption from our sins (John 3:16; Ephesians 1:7).  He did this for us because it is our sins that separate us from Him and put us on the path to destruction (Isaiah 59:1-2; Matthew 7:13-14).

God will save and give eternal life to those who will place their faith and trust in Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), turn from their sins in repentance (Acts 17:30-31), confess Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), and are baptized (immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38).  He will continue to cleanse from sin those who continue to walk in the light of His Word (1 John 1:7).

Do YOUR priorities reflect the “top two”?  If so, loving God supremely will prompt you to accept His offer of salvation on His terms.  You will also seek to love others as He loves them.

Won’t YOU give heed to what really matters by trusting and obeying Him today?