Keeping Your Priorities in Place

One of the most difficult things to do in life is to keep your priorities in place. Often, the things that we pursue aren’t necessarily wrong, it’s just that we go at them the wrong way. You know, the ‘laser-focused’, ‘hustle-hustle’ mentality. This attitude causes us to lose perspective and lose sight of what’s most important. No matter what we’re aiming to achieve in life, we must focus on keeping our priorities in place.

What are your priorities?

We all may answer this question a little differently, but the 1 thing that must be the same is our #1 priority. No matter our season in life, as followers of Christ, our #1 must always be God. Consider the words of Jesus concerning the Great Commandment:

“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment.”
– Matthew 22:37-38

No matter our goals, our life purpose, or our aspirations, we must remain intentional to keep God #1.

As humans, we’re easily distracted, deceived, and led astray. We must know this. It’s easy for us to simply read of Adam and Eve’s fall in the garden, but we must put ourselves there. What would have gotten our attention? The desire for more, curiosity, or just flat out rebellion? Let’s be honest, there is often a thrill in doing wrong.

We must consider these questions, as they allow us to better understand ourselves as well as those areas that we must stand on guard against. We must never forget that we have an enemy who constantly seeks to deceive us [John 8:44].

Satan’s attack on Jesus, recorded in Matthew 4, allows us to gain insight into some of his popular tactics:

Fleshly appeals. Temptations that appeal to our physical senses.
Power appeals. Temptations that appeal to our desire to exercise power.
Glory appeals. Temptations that appeal to our desire for glory and wealth.

Jesus, being the perfect Son of God, completely humbled and submitted to the Father’s will, was able to resist each of these temptations by responding with God’s Word. This must also be our response when tempted.

We must be submitted to God’s Word in order to keep our priorities in place.

Without prioritizing God and His Word, we are often tempted and deceived without even realizing it! Satan is very subtle and deceptive.

“And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.”
– II Corinthians 11:14

Maintain Your Priorities

Once you take the time to determine your priorities, the challenge is now to maintain your priorities. This is the key for us all. It is very easy to overly focus on one area of life while neglecting others. It is very easy to turn our blessings and aspirations into idols. We must be good stewards over all that God has given us, while simultaneously keeping everything in its proper place.

Awareness is the first step in keeping your priorities in place. Today, I encourage you to list out your priorities and honestly assess if your actions are matching up. If not, make adjustments. Confess to God and others, as appropriate and be determined to prioritize well.

Prioritizing is not a one-time process, it’s continual.

As we remain committed to prioritizing well, God will keep us aware and the adjustments will get easier. We just have to trust Him and His way, realizing that He knows best. The plans that He has for us are far greater than anything that we could ever muster up on our way, in our own will.