Make the Main Thing the Main Thing

       Priorities. How important are they? Could a business run without them? Can a home run productively without them? I don’t think so. Everybody has different priorities, though. What is the most important one?

       In a productive business office, the main priority would be to get the work done. Can the office staff accomplish that without the dedicated work of each person who works there? If people come in when they want to, or leave when they get ready, will the work be done?

        And what about homes? Certain tasks have to be done every day, while others must be done periodically to keep a home in good working order, and to maintain comfort. When the priorities in the home are forgotten, the house is usually a mess until somebody sets it right again.

        Some things bother us so badly we feel we have to do them. I heard about this lady who was explaining why she had missed church the previous Sunday. She said she couldn’t go to church that morning because she had to organize her lingerie drawer. She couldn’t stand another day opening that drawer and finding all her panties in a wad, I mean, her unmentionables in a jumble. Everything had to be neat or she couldn’t stand it. So she skipped church to take care of that task.

         Then there was the woman who told her pastor that she would not be able to get to church any more on Sunday because it was the only day she had to let her face rest. She had to get up every other day and put make-up on her face so she could go to work, and Sunday was the only day her face could rest, so she was going to start staying in on Sundays, to give her face a rest. (Both of these incidents actually happened!)

         Jesus taught us about priorities. He said, “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:33 NIV) If our priorities are in the right place, everything else will be all right.

          Getting that quiet time in early, praying to God as a friend, trusting him completely—these things should be our first priorities. After that come the daily tasks. Work is pretty important. Without it, our livelihood would be severely cut back. Family is important. We must instill into our children values to make them productive adults, even though it may be unpleasant at times.

         Make a list of your priorities, then give this list to God in prayer. He will tell you which ones to put first. The next hard thing to do is to follow that list.