Get Your Priorities Straight

[This is part of the Finish What You Started Series]

As technology has advanced, a strange thing has happened. The things that were supposed to make our life easier are in fact making them busier. Email, text messaging, blogging, social media, the list goes on.

Rather than accomplishing a task and using the time we saved to relax with friends and family, we decide to use that time to get more things done. As we send more info out through the channels I’ve mentioned, we now have more coming back. This requires more time from us and before we know it our schedule is slammed full.

Realistically, this can only go on for so long. No matter how slick your new phone is, no matter how fast the latest computer is, we still only have 24 hours in a day. As we continue to pile up responsibilities, eventually our plate becomes so full that something has to give. This is where having our priorities straight is a life saver.

The Cost of Not Prioritizing

When our priorities are not in order, everything can begin to carry the weight of the world. Everything begins to have equal importance. We begin to incessantly check our Twitter and Facebook feeds to see if any one has left a comment. We jump in and out of email hoping to find something, or someone that needs our attention. While we’re sitting at work, sitting at home with family, or just about anywhere else, we are not focused on them the way we should be. Instead we are worried we’ll miss something that’s going on elsewhere. As a result, the things that are “truly” important can get neglected as we give our attention to the things that “seem” important. If this continues for too long, it can cost us heavily. Relationships are neglected, jobs are hindered, and opportunities are lost. To be busy doing seemingly “good” things, prevents us from accomplishing great things. As much as we don’t want to admit it, we can’t possibly keep this level of activity up forever. Something has to give, and if it doesn’t, then our sanity will.

A Challenge to Prioritize Your Life

So as we start a new year, lets start by getting our priorities straight. Lets decide now what is most important to us. Then, when things pile up, we can be sure that we will make a wise choice in what we decide to set aside, whether for a season or altogether. This is why I haven’t blogged in three months. Life served up some unexpected circumstances, and my schedule became so busy, that I had to set the blog aside. As much as I love to blog, it was not my top priority. Now that things are starting to get in order I can begin blogging again.

If you are going to finish what you started in every area of life, be it marriage, family, ministry, etc, then you need to start by getting your priorities straight! So get a piece of paper and a pen and make your list. Then share that list with someone who can hold you accountable. Trust me, you’ll be thankful you did!

How about you: Have you ever been guilty of getting your priorities mixed up? How did you resolve it?