4-15-20 What Is Essential?

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these other things will be added to you as well.  (Matthew 6:33).

Thoughts:  What is essential?  In a time of crisis, what is essential to us comes out.  When your house is on fire- what you grab before the house goes up in flames is irreplaceable or essential.  In our day it seems ironically that toilet paper, of all things is more essential than almost anything else!
    Nineteen states have officially called worship "essential."  Others have seen shopping at places like Best Buy as essential but forbid any kind of gathering for church besides online.  As someone put it, the church is constitutionally protected and many are going the extra mile for safety but some stores have no safety rules and are allowed arbitrarily to be labeled essential. What is essential to some is not essential to others.  We have a need while here to respect what is essential to others (unless someone lives to hurt others).  In a time of crisis, worship gives encouragement, hope, and strength.  It reminds us that life is not just about us and our needs and toilet paper.
    In the end, our soul is essential.  When we die, and we will-of something- and most not from the corona-virus, then we will leave all of these other things that the world deems essential behind.  But our soul will go on to one place or another.  In Greenville Mississippi on Palm Sunday police made people roll down their windows to give them $500 tickets per person to listen to an FM radio station in the church parking lot, even though the governor of Mississippi has deemed worship essential.  Yet in that same town, on 729 E Reed Road you can drive up to a Sonic Drive In, order your food, eat it in your car or even on a picnic table without any issues raised.   The U.S. Attorney General even pointed out how unfair and discriminatory this is.
    One of the great issues is how do we view the worship of God?  Some see it like entertainment.  Many see it as a bit extra in life to make us feel better about ourselves.  But Jesus always saw worship as not only important but essential.  If Jesus is our Lord, then we make His will our priority.

Prayer: Lord, help me to see you as the main ingredient in my life and not icing on my cake.