Church and God Prioritized

[spirettedotter]

1. Exactly where does Church and God rank in your priorities? Please arrange and number the following in order of your commitment and priorities...

Church

Spouse

God

Job

Children

2. Do you differentiate between God and Church, or are they inseparable? Why?

Please respond. Thanks.

[Vanhin]

God

Spouse

Children

Church

Job

My commitment in each catergory owes itself to my allegiance to God.

Regards,

Vanhin

[lilered]

God

Spouse

Children

Church

Job

I do differentiate - The church provides the earthly support to help me to return to God.

[NeuroTypical]

1. I try to be aligned to God first. If I find that alignment conflicting with a different priority, the issue is always with me or the different priority, not with God.

2. God wants there to be the church, and it is a source of authority, teachings, doctrine, etc. It's also filled with fallible, error prone, fallen humans doing the best they can, or in some cases not.

LM

[Misshalfway]

Mine looks the same as others:

God

Spouse

Children

Church

Job

For me, my relationship with God contains all my obedience and devotion and faith. My relationship with the church I feel is different. That usually means my participation in callings and activities. I will and do participate but only after my obligations to spouse and children are met. And if my family has a need, that trumps my church duties.

[ruthiechan]

God

Spouse

Children

Church

Job

My commitment in each catergory owes itself to my allegiance to God.

Regards,

Vanhin

Exactly.

It is the same for me.

I can not be a good companion, a helpmeet, for my husband unless I am in line with God. Every time I start veering off it affects the way I deal with things and leads to contention.

Things can not be right for my daughter, I do not parent as well, unless her father and I are united.

Going to Church means nothing if things at home are not right. A dysfunctional family can go to Church but if they are not working to fix the dysfunction it's all a facade. Also, if I am bedridden and unable to attend Church I can still read my scriptures and pray and keep in contact with members of the Church (especially if Visiting and Home Teachers are doing their job), and be in line with the afore mentioned things.

If I am putting all my time into my job or school and leaving everything else behind my performance goes down hill, as well as my happiness and satisfaction in life.

[fallen_angel]

God

Family(do not have spouse/children)

Job

Church

God has to be first...developing a strong relationship with Him keeps everything else on track. Family is important, a job keeps the practical side of things running....and I am sorry, but for me right now physically being inside a church every week is far less important than keeping everything else above water. So yea, I definitely can separate God and church. Supreme Being vs a building & a group of people.

[kona0197]

God

Spouse

Church

Job

Life

We don't have kids. Nor will we have them.

[skippy740]

Amazon.com: The Divine Center: Stephen R. Covey: Books

All of us at some point search for an organizing principle in life, one that is simple without being simplistic, that offers enduring direction. The book introduces, explains, and illuminates such a principle – centering one’s life on Christ. It examines twelve other "centers" and their effect on key dimensions of our lives: our security, guidance, wisdom, and power. Although those other perspectives offer some value, only the "divine center" meets all the tests. This powerful principle is given life by an inspiring presentation of "how-tos" –imaginative, thought-provoking explanations of the divine-centering process and steps necessary to achieve the goal.

[skippy740]

If you're asking me personally... I'm out of order lately.

Job

God

Wife

Children

Church

I highlighted the book above because our focus needs to change at different times AS LONG AS we can keep Christ in the center of our priorities. The book will explain in greater detail how we can do that.

[ruthiechan]

If you're asking me personally... I'm out of order lately.

Job

God

Wife

Children

Church

I highlighted the book above because our focus needs to change at different times AS LONG AS we can keep Christ in the center of our priorities. The book will explain in greater detail how we can do that.

Yes, lately I've been putting school first, and I'm constantly giving myself a boot to the head to fix that only to screw it up again and lather rinse repeat. It's so easy to get out of order. It requires constant vigilance.

[spirettedotter]

Thank you all for your answers. Most of you prioritized the list the same as I do.

1. God/Gospel

2. Spouse

3. Children

4. Church

5. Job

I asked the question because a FRIEND of mine, who has been in a position of leadership in the church most of his adult life, said he could NOT differentiate between God and church. He ordered his list:

1. God/Church

2. Spouse

3. Children

I was just wondering what take most LDS folks would have on that. Because...

To me, spouse should come second to God, then children next, before Church, then job last (as an ideal). Because we have stewardship over our family, more than our responsibility to the church as an organization. Nothing compensates for failure in the home, right? We can always grow and serve our spouse and children best if we are committed to God first and living the gospel, and I believe we have to put our family's needs above the needs of the Church. I agree that God and the gospel are perfect and flawless, but the Church is made up of humans who are imperfect and make mistakes. So the two (God and Church) have to be separable.

Anyway, thank you all for responding. :)

[WillowTheWhisp]

I've looked at this a few times and found it really difficult to analyse what order I put things in. I decided to look at it more from the direction of what would I least cope with living without. I realised then that I could still have my relationship with God even if I lived somewhere where it wasn't possible to get to church. It would be different but it would be possible. So that moved church down my list somewhat. God is always at the top. Then come my children followed by my spouse. This is probably because I am not currently married to their father as he died. My children are part of me so they come directly after my relationship with God. Job is necessary in order to put food on the table.

So, as I sit here preparing to go to Church this morning, my list is:

God,

Children

Spouse,

Job,

Church

Church is last because I know that even without it I would still have my relationship with God but whilst I don't have to live without it I do tend to prioritise it more than would appear from the list. Does that make sense?

[Iggy]

Church

Spouse

God

Job

Children

God, Myself, Spouse (or Myself, Spouse, God OR Spouse, God, Myself, etc)

Family

Job

Church(meaning callings)

For me and my family: Myself my husband and God are the head of our household. You can put that threesome in any order you wish, as it does not matter. Just as long as ALL three are there equally.