Big Rocks

Eph 5:16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
Bro Ron Kendell used an illustration that I think about from time to time. He pulled out a one-gallon, wide-mouthed mason jar and set it on a table in front of him. He took out about a half a dozen fist-sized rocks and carefully placed them, one at a time, into the jar.
When the jar was filled to the top and no more rocks would fit inside, he asked, "Is this jar full?"Everyone in the class said, "Yes."Then he said, "Really?"
He reached under the table and pulled put a bucket of gravel. He dumped some gravel in and shook the jar causing pieces of gravel to work themselves down into the spaces between the big rocks. He smiled and asked the group once more, "Is the jar full"?By this time the class was on to him. "Probably not," one of them answered. "Good!" he replied.
He reached under the table and brought out a bucket of sand. He dumped the sand in and it went into all the spaces left between the rocks and the gravel. Once more he asked the question, "Is this jar full?""No!" the class shouted. Once again he said, "Good!" Then he grabbed a pitcher of water and began to pour it in until the jar was filled to the brim.
He looked up at the class and asked, "What is the point of this illustration?" One eager beaver raised his hand and said, "The point is, no matter how full your schedule is, if you try really hard, you can always fit some more things into it!"
Bro Ron replied, "that's not the point. What this illustration teaches us is this: If you don't put the big rocks in first, you'll never get them in at all."What are the 'big rocks' in your life?
The Lord and His work? Your loved ones? Time for yourself? Teaching or mentoring others?A project that YOU want to accomplish?Remember to put the BIG ROCKS in first or you'll never get them in at all.
So, this morning as I reflect on this short story, I ask myself this question: "What are the 'big rocks' in my life?" Then, I need to put those in my jar first.