“Simon and those who were with him searched for Jesus, and they found him and said to him, ‘Everyone is looking for you.’”
Mark 1:26
As Jesus’ custom, he rises early in the morning to pray and to be one with his Father alone.
Of first importance, meeting with his Father precedes everything else. This precedes even his ministry.
The disciples come looking for him and further reveal that other people are looking for him as well. This was not as if this was foreign to Jesus that people would be looking for him.
But they can wait. First things first. My times with my Father is first.
As someone who is pursuing full-time ministry, I take this lesson from Jesus: I realize that above ministering to others is my calling to minister before the Lord. Before my obligation to shepherd others is my obligation to be shepherded by God. In my time slots, my times meeting with my Father is more important than meetings with anyone else.
This is not a negligence to the flock. This is actually the healthiest thing I can do for my flock. To be a person who is committed to obeying the greatest commandment.
