Day 17: Keeping Our Priorities Straight and in Order, Part 2

Yesterday, we spent the day trying to identify everything and everyone important in our lives through making a list.

Now, today, we will take a look at that list and assess our proper priorities and what to do with them.

SEQUENTIAL ORDER

Yesterday, you made a list of everything and everyone important to you. Today, in your prayer journal, number them in sequential order. Wait to do this until you read the rest of this section. I will let you know when to begin.

It’s important to put on the page what is important to you and get it all there in front of you, in writing, where you can see it and analyze it. For instance, here is mine:

1 God

2 Hubby and marriage

3 Health: Exercise and eating right

4 Home

5 Writing (which is my job and passion)

6 Critters/4-legged kids

7 Reading

8 USA, politics, current events, and history

9 Family

10 Friends

A great deal of things, events, and people come under those 10 categories. But, everything and everyone important to me is listed there.

You may be surprised how family and friends come at the bottom of my list. They do. Let me explain before you start rushing to judgment.

My priorities, I put in sequential order, based off of what is most important to me each and every day. In other words, what has direct impact on my life today?

Do my family or friends live with me? Do they pay my bills? Do they work for me and make me money? No. They do not. So, they do not have a direct impact on my life each and every day. That being said, if one of them has a health problem or a life challenge, then my priorities today would change, wouldn’t they? Of course they would. But, it’s not a permanent change to the sequence and priority order of my life’s priorities. It’s something temporary (the health issue or life challenge, that is). That’s different.

Also, know where my job is on the list. It’s number five on the list. It’s not one of my top three. Why would I say that? Easy. Again, is my job the most important thing on a day in, day out, for all 80 years of my life basis? No. I can always get another job. But, my job does not crawl into bed with me each night or greet me with a hug and kiss when I get home, so to speak. My job isn’t there during the tough times. My job is my job. It does not offer me eternal life and it didn’t choose me. I chose it.

Also, if I had a child, and I still hope to soon. Then, my child would become number four on my list and all others from there would move down my priority list. Let me explain.

A child is never number one, because only God and my faith takes that slot. Period. That never changes. No matter what.

A child never comes before my husband. Will that child bring me an income and pay my bills? Will that child sleep with me? Will that child not leave the house? Who makes decisions with me? My child does not. My husband is the one who makes money, pays bills, chose me, and will be there when the child leaves the house. I chose him and he chose me. That’s why my husband comes before a child.

Why would health come before a child? If I’m sick and can’t take care of myself, how can I take care of a child? I have nothing to offer a child if I do not take care of myself. Also, if I do not model for my child how to be healthy inside and out, then what a tragedy that would be.

I hope all of that makes sense.

So, make sure when you put your matters of importance in order, you think seriously of the ramifications of the order in which you place each item. It’s very important.

Also, note, how I kept my priorities simple. I put them in categories and in groupings as well and that helps.

My entire life is summarized in these 10 priorities.

PRAYER JOURNALING QUESTION

Put your priorities in order. In other words, put them in sequential order of importance.

REVIEW YOUR MEMORY VERSES

Write them in your prayer journal without peeking. No cheating. See how far you get. Then, after a couple of minutes of trying to find the words, then peek and write out the rest and make corrections as necessary.

Then, prayer journal your thoughts today, right now, on those verses.

They are: Philippians 4:4-8; Psalm 90:12; 1 Samuel 2:1; Colossians 3:23-24