One day, an expert was speaking to a group of business students. “Okay, time for a quiz,” he told them, pulling out a one-gallon, wide-mouthed mason jar, setting it on a table in front of him. Then, he produced about a dozen fist-sized rocks and carefully placed them, one at a time, into the jar. When the jar was filled to the top and no more rocks would fit inside, he asked, “Is this jar full?” Everyone in the class said, “Yes.” Then he said, “Really?” He reached under the table and pulled out a bucket of gravel. Then he dumped some gravel in and shook the jar causing pieces of gravel to work themselves down into the spaces between the big rocks.
Then, he smiled and asked the group once more, “Is the jar full?” By this time, the class was onto him. “Probably not,” one of them answered. “Good!” he replied. He reached under the table and brought out a bucket of sand. He started dumping the sand in, and it went into all the spaces left between the rocks and the gravel. Once more he asked the question, “Is this jar full?” “No!” the class shouted. Once again, he said, “Good!” Then he grabbed a pitcher of water and began to pour it in until the jar was filled to the brim. Then he looked up at the class and asked, “What is the point of this illustration?”
One eager boy raised his hand and said, “The point is, no matter how full your schedule is, if you try really hard, you can always fit some more things into it!” “No,” the speaker replied, “that’s not the point. The truth this illustration teaches us is that if you don’t put the big rocks in first, you’ll never get them in at all.”
Isn’t that just how life can be sometimes? We get all filled up with little things that really do not matter and never have time or room for the big things that matter most. Just think about all the “little” things in life that fill up our jars: worry, fear, discouragement, arguing, bickering, etc. When these and more fill our lives, we have no room for the big and beautiful things like joy, peace, tranquility, harmony and calm assurance that God is on His throne and ruling. Consider some of what the Bible says about “first things first.”
Firstly, fill your life with the right passion. In contrast to being passionate for the earthly, Jesus reminded, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled” (Matthew 5:6 NKJV). Paul admonished Timothy, “So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart” (2 Timothy 2:22 ESV). When we fill our jar with the earthly, it is impossible to fit in the spiritual! There is little wonder why Jesus demanded, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness…” (Matthew 6:33 NKJV). Your real passion shows!
Secondly, fill your life with the right prayers. Sometimes we talk to everyone about everything but have no time for communication with the One Who really matters – God! A man who filled his jar with prayer, penned, “Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence” (1 Timothy 2:1-2). Notice, “First of all…”! “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God” (Philippians 4:6 ESV). We often want to see change – change in the world, in our careers and in our congregations. Do you really want things to change for the better? God reminded His people of old, “Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know” (Jeremiah 33:3 NKJV). “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14). We long for just the right governor, president or political staff to change the world, filling our jars with little pebbles. Yet, the answer to real change is in the “Rock of Ages”! Your prayers matter!
Thirdly, fill your life with the right perspective. How many of our jars are filled with negativity, doom, destruction and frustration today? We live with constant agitation! Why? Because our jars are filled with pebbles of perspective that do not really matter in the big scheme of life. Children of the King are commanded, “Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth” (Colossians 3:2). What we think, yes, our perspective really makes us who we are (Proverbs 23:7). Paul reminded his friends in Philippi to keep the right perspective. “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy – meditate on these things” (Philippians 4:8).
We all have loads of things to fit into our jars each day. To live the abundant life that God wants us to live, we must put in the rocks that matter most. If you and I put in the right passion, the right prayers and the right perspective first, the other things will fill in where needed. God said it for our benefit, so let’s remember – first things first!
