Tuesday, May 08, 2007 - Setting Biblical Principles
Do you often feel like you are always busy but nothing really important seems to get done? I think it's very possible and easy to find ourselves in that kind of predicament. There are many tugs and pulls on our time and energy, and sometimes we lose sight of what's important and what isn't.
How can we set priorities for our lives that keep us from wasting our time and spinning our wheels? Well, first of all, you have to really want to, because it takes discipline, which quite frankly is not always fun! The very process of setting priorities means that you make decisions to do some things and not do others. And priorities that are set by biblical principles are not based on what we want, but rather what God wants. Therefore, we have to be committed and disciplined in order to have good priorities in our lives. That's our starting point.
If you've got the desire, then how do you make those determinations? Well, let's think of God's guiding principles for setting priorities. Colossians 3:17 is a good place to start:
Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Biblical priorities are determined by what brings honor to the name of Christ. You have to ask yourself, "Can I do this and ask Christ to bless it? Would I be ashamed to have Him find me involved in this activity?" And then, you need to determine what activities honor Christ more than others.
That certainly does not mean that non-Christian activities cannot be done to the honor of Christ. One of the great things about serving Christ is that even mundane, everyday things can have significance because we do them to honor His name. But specific answers concerning specific activities many times won't be the same for everyone.
I remember someone telling me that they were exhausted because they'd spent the entire day shopping for prizes for a golf tournament. My first thought was, "What a waste of time. I'd go crazy if I had to spend a day shopping for golf prizes." But, you see, it may be that what looks like a waste of time to me could be a ministry for her. Perhaps she uses these associations and occasions for eternal and good purposes. It's not my job to judge others. I just need to be certain that my energy and time are spent where Christ can receive the greatest honor.
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