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What are your priorities?

Updated on October 23, 2014
priorities list
priorities list

Why I'm making this page about priorities

I have had the idea to make a page on priorities for some time now, but I kept putting it off. I guess it wasn't really a priority. Then, yesterday something happened that caused me to decide to definitely make it a priority. I was working on one of my squidoo lenses and my goal was to finish it, and the phone rang and there was a message from the clinic for my wife about an appointment. I made a mental note to call her and continued with what I was doing. In the end, I completely forgot to call my wife and tell her about the appointment until it was too late. This caused me to realize the difference between goals and priorities. My goal was to finish working on my lens which could be seen also as part of a long range goal to become a big giant squid (with 50 good lenses), but my priority should have been my wife, and if I would have realized my priority at the time it would have trumped my goal and I would have put the accomplishing of the goal aside for a few minutes and called my wife.

Goals can be based on priorities but not vice versa and priorities should always trump goals. Priorities should be listed in order of importance, thus even though my goal may have been based on a priority, the stronger priority of my wife should have trumped it.

God centered priorities
God centered priorities

What are your priorities?

As I mentioned above, priorities should be listed in order of importance. That is why they are called priorities. So get our a piece of paper and a pen or pencil and jot down the most important things in your life right now in order of importance and number them. These are your priorities. Did you include God? What about family? Your spouse? Your children? other relatives? What about your finances? What about your friends? Did you include your job? What about your interests and hobbies? Get the idea? If you have ministry where did you put it? Each person's list will be different--yours won't be the same as mine, so there's no need to show you mine. You must make your own priority list based on your own individual character, circumstances and desires. There is a suggested priority list in the link below. But, for the Christian, God should be included and at the top or the center of the list. Jesus said we should seek first God's kingdom (Matt.6:33 [see first spotlight below:]) The priorities picture I included here has God at the center of all other areas. This is one possible way to do it. I put God at the top of my priorities list, but I do rather like the idea of Him being at the center of the other areas as well.

Changed priorities ahead
Changed priorities ahead | Source

What about God? (Amazon spotlght I) - Should He be your first priority?

Check out this author's experience: Follow Laura as she struggles through her busy and complicated life to discover the serenity offered in Matthew 6:33: "Do not worry. Set your hearts on his kingdom first and these things will be given to you as well."

Digital Diary | Laura Where Is God On Your Priority List?
Digital Diary | Laura Where Is God On Your Priority List?
Included with this DVD is a 32-page discussion guide (available with DVD purchase only) with biblical references and study questions
 

Biblical basis for making God your first priority

and your neighbor second:

Matthew 6:33 is a good start--"Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness." But what is the kingdom of God? In Romans 14:17 , Paul tells us that it is not meat or drink, but is righteousness, joy and peace in the Holy Spirit. In Matthew 22:37-39 Jesus quotes from the old testament, answering the question of what are the greatest commandments. He says the first is to love the LORD your God with all your heart mind and strength and the second is to love your neighbor as yourself. But who is your neighbor. Your neighbor is the person closet to you, so naturally it would be your spouse. Thus your spouse should be your first priority under God. But it goes further than that. According Jesus, with the parable he told relating to this quote, your neighbor is anyone near you who may be in need. So it can be the person next door or down the street, or your friend. Depending on how you look at it ministry could fall into this category.

In Revelation 2:4, Jesus criticizes the Chruch at Ephasis because they had left their first love. I think the word "first" here referrs to first in priority as well as in time and thus would referr to their love for Him and through Him for others, which should have been their first priority.

Making Christ your first priority (Amazon spotlight II:)

What comes first in your life? Money, possessions, career, your reputation? Beloved, the Bible tells us that pursuing Christ should be the main priority in our lives.

Establishing Priorities: How Putting Christ First will Guarantee Success in Your Friendships, Home, Work, and Family
Establishing Priorities: How Putting Christ First will Guarantee Success in Your Friendships, Home, Work, and Family
The first commandment states it this way: You shall have no other gods before me (Exodus 20:3). Our heavenly Father promises that when we put Him first and seek after His way of doing things, WE WILL HAVE GREAT SUCCESS! What kinds of things are important to God? Things like walking in love, being good to people, and living an unselfish life - things that He knows will help you live in victory." -- Yours truly, Joyce Meyer
 

Read more on setting priorities.

Many books have been written on setting priorities. Here are a few:

Success is only another form of failure if we forget what our priorities should be.

working

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