Keeping Your Priorities

Be very careful, then, how you live. Ephesians 5:15

The purposes of God in your life must be continually revisited - andguarded! What does that mean?

(1) Stay flexible. Conditions constantly change; so do methods of getting things done. So, to fulfil your God-given priorities you must stay flexible.

(2) Plan your time carefully. To be effective, you must be able to plan your day. Only one in three people do. John Maxwell says, "It's a rare day that I get up in the morning wondering what I will be doing that day." Can you say that?

(3) Follow your plan. Most of us don't get to our most important tasks until mid-afternoon. We tend to finish off low-priority tasks first, so that we'll have a sense of accomplishment. That's not wise. Do first things first. If you plan your day but don't follow through, your results will be the same as those who don't plan at all. Goethe said,"Things that matter most must never be at the mercy of things that matter least."

(3) Delegate whenever possible. People fall into two categories:clingers or dumpers. Clingers refuse to let go of anything they think important, whether they're the best person to do it or not. Their goal is perfection. Dumpers, on the other hand, are quick to get rid of tasks, yet give little thought to how well the job will get done. Their goal is to get things off their desk. Proper delegation calls for being wise, secure in who you are before God, and generous toward others. It also means that the job gets done right. And isn't that what you want?