There are times I have to disappoint people, and I don’t like it. I can’t be in two places at once, so I have to make a choice. There is a call to answer and so you can’t answer everyone else’s. Opportunities present themselves, but you can’t have it all or possibly do it all, so what do you do?
I’ve failed in this area so many times that it isn’t even funny, but over time I have learned some principles that serve as a guide and help me sleep at night. One thing I would suggest is you must prioritize your life and do so with the idea of living your life on purpose. What are your priorities?
Here are mine:
- What do I feel would please God most in this situation, choice or dilemma?
- What does my family need me to be right now? Present? Listening? Engaged? What does that look like?
- What does my church family need right now? Is there an area I need to pay closer attention to at this season?
Now, this list is written in priority order for me. God first, family second and occupation third. I would like to tell you that this is the way it’s always been, but I’m afraid my wife might write a blog someday and embarrass me. The truth is that it used to be church first, God second (because I thought He put me in charge of the church), then family a distant third (because God liked it when I let Him be in charge of my family. The problem came when I saw in the Scriptures that He said HE was in charge of His church and I was in charge of my family. That changed my life!
For many I’ve witnessed, the miss-alignment looks more like family first, career & personal ambitions second, then God (and things of God) a very distant third.
So, if you were to apply the priority list of God first, family second, and occupation/dreams/goals/job third, what does today look like for you? How about this coming weekend? How about the year so far?
We’re about halfway through this year, so the good news is you can still turn it around and finish strong. Here’s what else I’ve found, when I put God first, not just in my words, but in my time, talent and treasure (the real measurements); then He has a way of blessing the other areas in ways only He can do — see Matthew 6:33.