HOW DO YOU PRIORITIZE YOUR ROLES AND GOALS?

HOW DO YOU PRIORITIZE YOUR ROLES AND GOALS?

 

Roles in life (student, employee, neighbor, wife, mom, lay minister, and so on) are difficult to manage because of the sheer volume of responsibilities that accompany them. Then, throw into the mix the idea of goal-setting on a regular basis, as you try to sort out what God’s next step is for you. It’s enough to drive you crazy or at least cause severe panic attacks. The only way to stay sane is to understand how to prioritize all of it. So today I want you to think about your favorite method of prioritizing.

 

Be honest with yourself, because by prayerfully thinking about that, you will be able to see the value or fallacy in your current approach. Think about how you have done life in the past, and then focus on how God intends for you to get organized around his priorities for your life.

 

THERE’S SO MUCH TO DO AND SO LITTLE TIME!

 

How do you prioritize? Do you do whatever is urgent or answer whoever screams the loudest? Do you use sticky notes to help you remember what you need to handle, or sort through bills to see which ones are almost overdue? Do you live by happenstance, because you want to avoid prioritizing? Do you automatically tackle the most complicated thing first to get it out of the way, or do you do the easy thing first to ease in to the hard stuff? How do you determine what gets your attention? Do you shuffle papers around on your desk until a dog-eared sheet catches your interest? Do you wait until your computer alerts you with a recurring ding that a deadline is fast approaching? Do you bow to the worthy agenda of an articulate family member, friend, boss, or coworker? Do you prioritize out of obligation, passion, or fear? Do you take time regularly to review God’s priorities for your life? Do you have an accountability partner who helps you make periodic objective assessments of your roles and goals? Lisa Ryan, host of The 700 Club, admits that she has faced an ongoing struggle in this area.

 

LISA RYAN HAD TO DEVISE SAFEGUARDS TO KEEP HER PRIORITIES IN CHECK

 

Lisa works out of the Christian Broadcast Network’s (CBN’s) Tennessee studios. She also enjoys speaking to girls and young women on some of the books she has authored: For Such a Time as This and Generation Esther. But Lisa cuts to the chase when she says that none of this would have any value if she were to neglect the four most important people in her life— her husband and three up-‘n’-coming, modern-day Esthers (her daughters)!

 

Lisa prayed to receive Christ as her Savior at age five with her mother by her side. Since then, she has always had a deep hunger for God and has felt a sense of purpose and destiny. Her faith and trust in God have carried her through many difficult times, during which God continues to build her character and fill her with compassion for others. Through television, Lisa seeks to create a hunger for God and the abundant life he offers. Through writing and speaking, she gets to unleash her passion to challenge girls and young women to walk boldly and purposefully each day “for such a time as this” (as Esther’s cousin said to her!).

 

Lisa prays constantly for God’s direction in her life and for his help in prioritizing her roles and goals. In addition, she confesses that she is an endless list maker who feels enormous satisfaction when she crosses items off. Lisa also relies on her Palm Pilot and on her husband, who is a great balancer in her life on all levels—family, career, personal, and spiritual. When her schedule roars out of control and she starts feeling a little crazy, she stops, reevaluates, and eliminates. Then, she surrenders what’s left undone to God and focuses her energies once again. She says, “Prioritizing is a constant task that, if done well, will keep you from getting overwhelmed. But, if you don’t prioritize using God’s Spirit and his Word as your plumb line, you will lose your peace, feel like a failure, and end up doing nothing well. And that is never God’s purpose. Beware of the should other people assign to your life and learn to say no. Remember: Just because you can, doesn’t mean you have to.”

 

How Do You Prioritize Your Roles and Goals?

God Prioritized Well

 

God prioritized the roles and goals of the Israelites as he directed each step of their escape from the Egyptians: “By day the pillar of cloud did not cease to guide them [the Israelites] on their path, nor the pillar of fire by night to shine on the way they were to take” (Nehemiah 9:19). Please read the verse again. Picture God doing the same thing for you, day in and day out. How would you like that?

 

SCRIPTURE TO PONDER

 

Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track. (Proverbs 3:5–6, MSG)

 

SUGGESTED PRAYER

 

Dear Lord God, I, _________, trust you from the bottom of my heart, and I don’t want to try to figure out everything on my own. I will listen for your voice in everything I do and everywhere I go. You’re the one who will keep me on track. I acknowledge that it’s your pathway, your map, and your speed limit! Today I pray that I will be a woman who seeks to know your priorities for my roles and goals. Help me balance my family and ministry life, my spirituality, and other pressing obligations. Guide me straight to your best for my life. Be clear with me, because I earnestly seek to honor you in all I do.

 

So . . . What Insight, Prayer, or Action Step Has God Laid on Your Heart Today?