Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Priorities

The Greatest importance; the state of having importance or urgency. Somebody or something that is ranked highly.

A Life Without Priorities Will Inevitably Lack Purpose.

If nothing & no one is more “Important” than anyone or anything how will you know what to do next or who to spend time with to accomplish your Purpose? 

What is important in life is life, and not the result of life. ~Johann Wolfgang Goethe

This sounds easy, but we all know how hard this is to put into practice.

Author John Maxwell’s books have been a great source of help for me on this subject. I pass along some of his wisdom…..

Take Back Today

“Have you ever noticed that the people who have nothing to do usually want to spend their time with you? Poet Carl Sandburg said, "Time is the most valuable coin in your life. You and you alone will determine how that coin will be spent. Be careful that you do not let other people spend it for you."

Your greatest possession is the twenty-four hours you have directly ahead of you. How will you spend it? Will you give in to pressure or focus on priorities? Will you allow pointless e-mails, unimportant tasks, co-workers, interruptions, and other distractions to consume your day? Or will you take complete responsibility for how you spend your time, take control of the things you can, and make today yours? If you don't decide how your day will be spent, someone else will.

Ask Yourself Three Questions

1. What is required of me? Any realistic assessment of priorities in any area of life must start with a realistic assessment of what a person must do. For you to be a good spouse or parent, what is required of you? To satisfy your employer, what must you do? (If you lead others, then the question should be, What must you personally do that cannot be delegated to anyone else?) When ordering priorities, always start with the requirement question and give it careful thought before moving on to the next question.

2. What gives me the greatest return? As you progress in your career, you begin to discover that some activities yield a much higher return for the effort than others do. (Anyone who hasn't discovered that probably isn't progressing in his career!) The next place to focus your attention is on those high-return activities.

3. What gives me the greatest reward? If you do only what you must and what is effective, you will be highly productive, but you may not be content. I think it's also important to consider what gives you personal satisfaction. However, I find that some people want to start with the reward question and go no further than that. No one can be successful who doesn't possess the discipline to take care of the first two areas before adding the third.”

We are setting some New priorities at New Life.

We must live to our potential and fulfill our Purpose in the Kingdom.

Some things must take Preeminence ….. others must move.

The art of being wise is the art of knowing what to overlook! ~William James

Deb & I want to help you “Live On Purpose”

See You In Church.

Check out the attached “Study Tool” ~ Priorities = Purpose

 

 

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Again WOW!!!!
I can see clearly now! Thanks.

Nichole said...

WOW is right! I am so challanged by this teaching today. Thank you for not quiting the blog! It is helpful, eye opening, challenging, sometimes hard to take, but so, SO, worth your time, and effort. I am just 1 of thousands, that have been spoken to, and blessed.

Thank you for your great gift in delivering simple truths.

God you are so good and Faithful!!!

Now if I could just find my
"To Do" List..... LOL

I haven't been part of blogging in a while, but am so thankful for how God so gently helps me to see I NEED to get back to my priorities. We serve a GREAT God!

Anonymous said...

I’m with Nichole. DO NOT STOP THESE!
We (the readers) are worth it. We are a Priority. We need solid teaching. Someone who will straighten us out. Who better than Mister Plain talker himself?

Bill T said...

Great Blog this week! I am so thankful for a God that is patient and doesn't give up on a guy who has the "potential" of being all over the map sometimes ! I am learning more that starting that 24hours off on the right foot is the key to a successful day right until I lay my head on the pillow that night. It's like teeing off on 1st hole of a beautiful golf course...so much potential for a great day lies right in front of you...and giving that extra thought and time into how you will "hit" that first shot will determine what kind of score you can have and what kind of confidence you gain for the round. If you don't start well, you play "catch up" the rest of the day, just like in life. If I can't get it on the right track to start...my day and my potential sucess for that day is always a step behind. How successful would we all be if God made spending time with Him in the morning as important as breathing...but then again, He gave us the "choice" to pay the price or pay it throughout the day...

Now, the tough part...living consistently what is put in words.

thanks Pastor Mark for not quitting this blog. I look forward to so many of them each time. Sometimes they are like taking a horse pill...and other times they are reminding me of how much the Lord has done for me and my family. Despite my hang ups and my playing "catch up" more than I should, He thru some of these simple truths nudges me back out onto the "fairway" so that i can see the "green" ! :)

Bob A said...

Thank you Pastor Mark…..this was a “full plate”....pass the gravy.

Please do not give up on the blog…I think God has placed on your heart that what you provide there is so much spiritual nourishment……you are feeding thousands and you haven’t seen their faces, but the baskets are still coming back with leftovers.

Thanks Bill and Nichole for your comments……you said what I was thinking……that’s why this blog is so important……sometimes you think you are the only one thinking the things you do….feeling the things you feel…..and then you come along and this simple tool opens your eyes to see that we are all wrestling with the same things just in slightly different ways. It’s really a form of God’s Holy Spirit talking to us and letting us know that what is common to me is common to so many.

I love the golf analogy…..I used to spend much of my life on the course (even growing up on Bethpage Black on LI where the US Open is being played), so that really rang true to me…..thanks Bill…..it’s so true about starting off on the 1st tee in the center of the fairway so you’re not spending the rest of the hole in the rough. The quiet time in the am is a great start for that.

As for Solomon’s lamentations, IT COULD NOT BE MORE TRUE ! I was there, amassing useless "things", while God was not with me….or should I say I was not with Him. He was there all the time saying, "I’ll wait until your done…and I will be here to catch you"…..and He did just before I hit oblivion…..and now I need to re-build with Him as my Architect.

Praise God for His loving kindness and patience.

Psalm 103:8 (English Standard Version)
8The LORD is(A) merciful and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
Praise Him \O/

Fanny Crosby…1869..wrote the following song of praise..

Praise Him! Praise Him! Jesus, our blessèd Redeemer!
Sing, O Earth, His wonderful love proclaim!
Hail Him! hail Him! highest archangels in glory;
Strength and honor give to His holy Name!
Like a shepherd, Jesus will guard His children,
In His arms He carries them all day long:
Praise Him! Praise Him!
Tell of His excellent greatness.
Praise Him! Praise Him!
Ever in joyful song!

Praise Him! Praise Him! Jesus, our blessèd Redeemer!
For our sins He suffered, and bled, and died.
He our Rock, our hope of eternal salvation,
Hail Him! hail Him! Jesus the Crucified.
Sound His praises! Jesus who bore our sorrows,
Love unbounded, wonderful, deep and strong.
Praise Him! Praise Him! Jesus, our blessèd Redeemer!
Heav’nly portals loud with hosannas ring!
Jesus, Savior, reigneth forever and ever.
Crown Him! Crown Him! Prophet, and Priest, and King!

Christ is coming! over the world victorious,
Pow’r and glory unto the Lord belong.
Praise Him! Praise Him!
Tell of His excellent greatness.
Praise Him! Praise Him!
Ever in joyful song!

AMEN AMEN AMEN !!!!! \O/

Ginny S. said...

Time is so very precious. I learn this more and more. It truly is a valuable coin that we cannot let anyone else spend for us. My prayer is that God helps me to learn how to spend ALL my coins - HIS WAY! I feel best when I spend my "coins" by helping others (in His peace and His quiet) and receiving no recognition. And yes Bill T., starting off with God in the AM is the BEST coin we can spend.

Shane said...

I love the way the Selah's this week have tied into this blog posting and the bible study. It's making me feel like I need a re-org in the brain....you know re-set some goals and really focus on the priorities. Half of this year is over already!!! Where did it go? I loved Bill's comment on getting off the first tee the right way. I guess the trick is doing it every day with the right dicipline and mentality....Pastor Mark, you certainly give us the tools....way to go Taffy!!!

Bob A said...

Thanks Pastor Mark for this week’s Selahs…..I am focusing on making changes in my life…..trying to change my priorities, my goals, my dreams….thank you.

I was thinking about the passing of Michael Jackson…..man was he a plagued and tortured soul with troubles and confusion, but he said he believed in God….somehow……hmmmm…..who am I to judge…..I won’t.

I thought about this song of his, Man in the Mirror….funny how it seems to speak to what God has been saying to us in your Selahs and the blog lately……about looking at ourselves (and with God’s help), and “making that change”.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUrqFkR7QlI
Selah…….

Today’s Selah was great……I love discovering and being around “encouragers”…..you and your Dad are great Pastors and encouragers PM.

Thanks Shane for that book, The Solomon Secrets…..a great encouragement to making that change in our lives….it’s never toooo late. Thanks.

I have been reading another great book, “He Loves Me ! Learning To Live In The Father’s Affection” by Wayne Jacobsen. A powerful powerful book on just what our Father’s love really is all about. It’s NEVER something we will earn. We will never do enough to be in His “favor”. He speaks of the Favor Line…that invisible line we look to cross . Jacobsen says, “It’s the invisible line that tells us whether or not we’ve met someone’s expectations to merit their approval”. We never will….Our Father loves us unconditionally. WOW, WHAT AN ENCOURAGEMENT!!! He shares that “The Parable of the Prodigal Son” should have been called “The Parable of the Incredible Father”. This book is a tremendous encouragement.

Praise Him \O/

Bill T said...

A little song to share that ties into today's SELAH! Happy 4th Everybody...

Desert Song :

Verse 1:
This is my prayer in the desert
When all that's within me feels dry
This is my prayer in my hunger and need
My God is the God who provides

Verse 2:
This is my prayer in the fire
In weakness or trial or pain
There is a faith proved
Of more worth than gold
So refine me Lord through the flame

Chorus:
I will bring praise
I will bring praise
No weapon formed against me shall remain
I will rejoice
I will declare
God is my victory and He is here

VERSE 3:
This is my prayer in the battle
When triumph is still on its way
I am a conqueror and co-heir with Christ
So firm on His promise I'll stand

BRIDGE:
All of my life
In every season
You are still God
I have a reason to sing
I have a reason to worship

VERSE 4:
This is my prayer in the harvest
When favor and providence flow
I know I'm filled to be emptied again
The seed I've received I will sow