Priorities

Life is a gift from God,
What you do with it, is your gift to Him

I don't know about you, but I get easily distracted from what I know I "should" be doing.  I can let anything interrupt me, and at times even look for interruptions to free me from responsibilities.  If my life is not organized and planned, I will accomplish very little.  So I strive to be organized and plan out what I want to fit into my life.  My dh, Russ, would probably tell you I'm a "list person."  If something lands onto my "list" it is sure to get done. 

Once you decide to make sure important things fit into your life, you then have to determine what is important enough to make the list.  What goes on top, what goes second, what doesn't happen at all?

I'll share my list with you although it's not in stone.  From day to day  things change and priorities can change too.  You need to be flexible and go with what is needed.  Feel free to use this to create your own. 

A Few Rules of Thumb

1.  People & relationships are more important than work.
2.  Eternal things are more important than what happens here on earth.
3.  God's will is more important than anything you or I could think of doing. 

My Priority List

1.  Spending time with God through bible study, prayer, quiet listening or music.  I get my instructions for the day during this time, so I make sure its the first thing I do whenever possible.  If I miss this time, my whole day suffers. 

2.  My second priority is my Husband.  God has blessed me with a very special husband.  He is not perfect, but then again neither am I.  He joined us in marriage and we were created to compliment each other.  You can't be much of a compliment if you don't spend time together.  Although time together is often hard to find, couples need to spend time Dating their Mate, talking, setting goals together & just loving each other. 

3.  Next comes my Children.  We have two so far, but one never knows what the future holds.  They often want to get in front of my marriage, but that is not God's intention.  A couple needs to be united in their child raising techniques.   Children are to be loved & disciplined.  They are gifts given to parents for a time.  It is our job to raise them to know and love the Lord.  One day they will be on their own, raising their own children.  My motto is that you do for children what they cannot do on their own, You help them with what they need help with, You let them do what they can do on their own.  I believe that both Quality & Quantity time are important to children.  Each family needs to determine what God is calling them to do in this area. 

Which is better?   To give a child a fish?  Or to teach him to fish?

4.  The next priority for me is the Work that God has given me to do.  I try to concentrate on the things that only I can do.  When I am in the hospital, working as a nurse, I make sure my responsiblities are getting done.  When at home, I make sure those things that are "My jobs" get done first too.  It's great to help others, but not at the expense of neglecting your own responsibilities.  An example of this would be not doing the laundry, and causing your family to wear dirty underwear, because you helped a friend put in a new garden.  Helping the friend needs to go a little lower on your list of priorities.  God won't give you ten things to do at the same time.  It's up to you to seek His guidance on what is really His intention for you at that time.  

5.  Service Projects are also high on my list of things to do.   The Lord has called all of to serve Him and others.  In my life, I serve mostly in the church environment.  I serve as the Chairperson of our Nursery School, and have a seat on our Ad Council.  I also help out in my children's schools when time allows.  The benefits & rewards of serving others, are well worth it.   I choose to make time to serve. 

6.  Don't forget Time for Yourself!  For years I wrongly believed that life should be all work and no play.  NOT!  That type of lifestyle leaves you quickly burnt out and unsatisfied.  In order to keep a positive attitude and be pleasant to be around, you need to take time to Recharge Your Battery.  If you don't know how to have R&R (Rest & Relaxation for those of you who might not be familiar with this) there's no time like the present to find out.   Ask yourself a few questions.   
    a.  If I could do anything I wanted, what would I do?
    b.  If I could go anywhere I want, where would I go
    c.  Do I prefer to be alone or with others?
    d.  Do I schedule time to be free from responsibility?

God created Sunday as a Sabbath, a day of rest.  This day we are called to spend worshipping Him and recharging our battery through rest.  When possible you should schedule Sunday (or another day of the week if you can't free up Sunday), to rest and spend time with family.  I personally avoid doing any chores on Sunday except the ones we do daily, such as dishes, dinner and feeding the dog.  But be careful here, God also created 6 days for work, so you don't need more than one day to relax, except for weeks of vacation. 

7.  Lastly is the Anything Goes Category.   If you have any time left after taking care of all your priorities, and including some rest time for yourself, then do whatever you feel led to do.  At different stages in life, this category will vary.  If you at home with young children, this probably won't happen often.  However, if you are single, with lots of time on your hands, the possibilities are endless.  Go For It!.  Don't waste time away, it is a gift, and you never know how much of it you have left.  Be productive. 

You are listening to "Honor and Praise"
by Twila Paris

This page was last updated on 05/22/04.
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