Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Priorities


Everyone has priorities. But what are priorities? Miriam Webster defines priority in the dictionary as a noun that means: the fact of coming earlier. Synonyms are: precedence and priority.

So it’s pretty clear that a priority or several priorities are things or a thing that comes earlier or first. That is pretty simple isn’t it? Yes it is, but not so fast…

Who decides that something is a priority? Now you can begin to see the complexity. It would be much more simple if we always decided on own but we do not. Others define them like bosses and friends or even a spouse or our children.

The bottom line is: it must be done FIRST and BEFORE ANYTHING ELSE. First and before anything else. If you do this then that will happen. So priorities take front seat in our lives. Because if you do this then you will get or have that and if that is a priority to you then you WILL DO THIS!

It is much more complex when you think of it this way.

And if you’re a Christian it becomes even more complex. And you wonder why? Well, think about it. Priorities are often defined by the world. Money and time are usually what we want, but the only way to get them is if we meet the priorities which have been set for us by the powers that be. If you don’t do it, then you won’t get what you want.

And what you want becomes the definition of what you do. If THIS doesn’t happen then you won’t get THAT! Not because you want it or need it. It’s because you made sure that THIS happened.

Now, think about that. The reason that you do everything that you do is based on priorities, some of which you have set and some that were set by someone or something else, not you. But they must be done because you want or need something.

Now you get the picture.

Priorities are why you do what you do. So at times you cannot meet some ones needs because quite frankly their needs are NOT on your list of priorities.

If is difficult to understand AND accept but it is true.

Case in point, I am your brother in Christ but no one ever comes to see me. I live my life all alone because you all have other more important priorities.

That’s hard to realize and very hard to accept, but I have to do it 365 days a year and yes it is hard. But I have no choice. It’s not my choice but yours. Are you happy? I hope so because I’m not.

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