Priorities

John 2:40-42  "Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus.  The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, 'We have found the Messiah" (that is, the Christ).  And he brought him to Jesus."

Andrew provides a wonderful example for us of having correct Christian priorities.  Andrew was one of the first two disciples who had been following John the Baptist, but who left him and followed Jesus.  When we are first called to follow Jesus, we typically start off on a path that looks much different than the path Andrew starts down.  Our path as a new believer might include some or all of the following:

• Head to Lifeway to buy a study Bible
• Start visiting churches
• Switch the radio in the car to a Christian station
• Buy a "WWJD" bracelet
• Find sermons and other podcasts through iTunes
• Begin the "Bible in One Year" reading plan

In general, our first steps as believers are typically related to finding ways to be "fed".  We consider it our first order of business to dive headfirst into the task of educating ourselves about what this all means and learning the basics that someone needs to know to be a "qualified" Christian.  It may be years before we feel we have attained an appropriate level of knowledge before we would even dream of sharing our faith with someone else.

This is the same series of steps we see Andrew take in the verses above, right?  Wrong.  Andrew had just started following Jesus.  He really knew nothing about the Man other than John the Baptist's proclamation that He was the Lamb of God.  He had not yet spent time with Jesus, learning from His teachings and observing how He lived His life.  He had no foundation whatsoever from which to approach anyone about his faith. 

And yet, that is exactly what he did.  Not only did he do it, it was the first thing he did.  Andrew didn't need to be qualified or educated.  He didn't need to spend years and years in study or being "fed".  The typical set of priorities demonstrates one thing above everything else - our singular focus on ourselves.  We find a church (or change churches) because we are not being "fed" at our old church.  There aren't enough programs for me to participate in.  The music style isn't pleasing to me.  The overall experience is not what I am interested in.

Andrew demonstrates for us that from the very beginning, before we know anything about anything, our focus should be on others.  From the moment we are called to follow Jesus, we know all we need to know - that He is the One and only Son of God and our personal Lord and Savior.  That's it.  The foundation is laid for us to go and tell others.  It's what we are commanded to do (Acts 1:8 - "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.")

The next time you stop yourself from telling someone about Jesus because you aren't qualified to do so, remember the example of Andrew.