Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts...-- 1 Corinthians 14:1
The common colloquialism is Getting the cart before the horse. I call it Flying upside-down (I'll explain in a bit).
Whatever terminology we use, the error is at times comical. In some areas of life however, it can affect relationships, impact our purpose and alter our destiny.
I once heard a speaker repeatedly say throughout his message:
THE MAIN THING IS TO KEEP THE MAIN THING THE MAIN THING!
(He focused on Paul's powerful vision from Philippians 4:10-14)
The idea is that our primary objective... our goal... our pursuit must always be clear. We are created for a reason. We must be about purpose. Our fulfillment and joy come as we are on-mission.
And it is easy at times to Fly upside-down. The idea comes from the vertigo suffered at times by fighter pilots. You can read the posts linked below; but the quick version is that sometimes a pilot's senses will betray him. He (or she) might feel he is level when instead the aircraft is banked. His senses tell him he is climbing when instead he is in descent. Ultimately, he might be completely inverted, while thinking all is well. In other words, he is flying upside down (without knowing it). For brief periods it is dangerous, for an extended period - and at over 500 mph - it is catastrophic.
So back to the point: Our life focus must be clear, and our pursuit pure. Paul writes that there are many things we can, and should, desire. But our passionate pursuit must be love. Love is the heart of God. Love is the power of transformation. And when we love, we are most like Christ.
God, help me to fly right-side-up, fixed on the horizon of your love.
For now...
D
