Lesson 7: Personal Priorities

Many people are busy but don’t think much about what they are doing. They assume that there is no need to think about what they have to do.

► What happens if a person does not think seriously about priorities?

Consider these statements:

• There are better things to do than the things we are doing.
• There are better ways to do things than the ways we are doing them.
• We could get better results than we are getting.

► If these statements are true, how will we learn to do better?

Our actions should be purposeful. We must take the time to think about what we ought to be doing and the best method of doing it, so that we can accomplish all that we ought. Contemplation of our priorities and actions must be intentional. According to John Maxwell, the common level of thinking is

• Too lazy to think purposefully
• Too undisciplined to think strategically
• Too shallow to question popular thinking
• Too proud to accept shared thinking
• Too selfish to experience selfless thinking
• Too uncommitted for goal-oriented thinking[1]

To become more productive, we must first take the time to think about our purposes and strategies. We must be willing to ask good questions, accept input from others, and lay aside our preferences so that we can accomplish the right goals.

[2]We want to be doing the right things in the best ways possible; we should begin by thinking about our priorities.

When you know your priorities, many decisions become easy. Priorities determine your goals and the way to reach your goals. Priorities enable you to recognize and choose from opportunities. A person who does not have clear priorities will be distracted by opportunities that do not relate to the right goals.

► What are some priorities that every Christian should have?

For a Christian, certain priorities should guide personal choices.

First, your personal salvation and relationship with God are the absolute priority. You should never consider anything that would compromise it. Instead, you must obey God in everything.

We know certain things about the will of God for our lives.[1] We know that God wants us to be good and to do good. Therefore, when considering any decision, we should choose the action that is consistent with being good and doing good. We should not put ourselves into situations where we are unlikely to remain holy in our heart and actions, or unlikely to accomplish good.

This principle applies to such decisions as where we live, where we work, whom we marry, what education we seek, what business we do, what church we join, what entertainment we choose, and what friends we have. A Christian should never take a job, operate a business, or lead an institution or organization that is contrary to God’s Word. The truth of God’s Word and his will for us should be the deciding factor in every decision.

Secondly, God’s call to a life of ministry has authority over you. This means that God directs the course of your life. He may turn you away from your goals to his goals for you. You must remember that you will find fulfillment only in God’s will. You must not make God’s will a secondary focus of your life, while giving first priority to your own goals.

A man felt called to be a pastor, but he was not sure how he would support his family. He was offered a good job at the airport and decided to take it. He was required to work on Sunday and could not attend church, but said, “This work at the airport is my church.” He knew that he was not following God’s call to pastor, but he did not have faith that God would provide if he left the job. He worked at the airport for 30 years. Finally, he retired with a monthly pension and decided to do something for God in his old age. Did he have the right priorities?

Jesus said, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work” (John 4:34). What does it mean if the will of God is your food? Food is what satisfies you and gives you energy. Hunger for food motivates you. Our highest motivation must be the accomplishment of God’s will. We should be most satisfied and energized by obedience to his plan for us.

Not all Christians agree on the order of importance for the next two priorities.

A third priority for the Christian is family. The Bible tells us that a person who does not provide for his family is worse than an unbeliever (1 Timothy 5:8). The leader’s responsibility for his family is not only financial support, but also their spiritual nurture, and other needs.

Ministry work should be balanced with family needs. The will of God for you is not in conflict with your family responsibilities, because family responsibilities are part of the will of God for you. Sometimes people who have accomplished great things in ministry have not been good examples in the care of their family. A person who thinks he must neglect his family because of his ministry is wrong.

Joshua was the leader of a migrating nation that had been influenced by various religions. As they came to the land God had promised, it was time for them to make a commitment to God’s covenant. Joshua told them to decide whether or not they would serve God, but he did not wait for a vote before making his own commitment. He said that whatever they chose, he and his family would serve the Lord (Joshua 24:15). This was strong leadership based on conviction. If the nation chose to serve a different god, Joshua would no longer be their leader; he was not willing to compromise his faithfulness to God. His courage and conviction influenced the nation to make the right choice.

A fourth priority is the local church. The church is the body of Christ and the fullness of God in the world (Ephesians 1:23). God equips the church to accomplish his purposes (Ephesians 4:11-13). By the church God will be eternally glorified (Ephesians 3:21). Therefore, a Christian should not think that his talents and ministry calling are independent of the church. If he is not a committed member of a local church, he is not fulfilling God’s perfect will for his life.

Applying Our Priorities to Our Lives

It is easy to say that these four priorities ought to have the most influence on our lives. It is more difficult to give adequate attention to each when we are faced with the responsibilities of life.

► Why is it difficult to follow your priorities consistently?

Sometimes we get busy with the details of family, ministry, and business, and we don’t take time to think about our priorities. Activity should be the result of contemplation. If you are too busy to stop and think, you are probably doing the wrong things. You may not be working according to the priorities you profess.

The Pareto Principle was named after Vilfrido Pareto, an Italian economist who noticed that 80% of the land was owned by 20% of the population. He noticed that 80% of the peas produced in his garden came from 20% of the pods. He saw that these percentages match many things. Other people have applied this principle to leadership, time, and business. 

• 20% of the salesmen in a company make 80% of the sales.
• 20% of the customers make 80% of the purchases.
• 20% of the customers make 80% of the complaints.
• 20% of medical patients use 80% of the medical resources.
• 20% of students take 80% of the teacher’s time.
• 20% of church members do 80% of the work of the church.
• 20% of the church members give 80% of the financial support.

For most people, 20% of their efforts produce 80% of their success. Most people need to focus their efforts better. They need to spend more time on the most effective activities and less time on the least effective activities.

► Use a visual illustration to make sure this concept is understood. The class leader should draw two large squares. Divide each square into 20% and 80%. Now illustrate by pointing from one square to the other. 80% of the people (point to the large section of the first square) in a company do 20% (point to the small section of the second square) of the work. 20% of the people (point to the small section of the first square) do 80% (point to the large section of the second square) of the work.

A leader who is too busy probably needs to stop doing some things. What can you eliminate with little loss?

Most pastors spend 20% of their time on 80% of the people, and 80% of their time on 20% of the people. The question is, are they focusing on the right people? Usually, we spend most of our time on the people with the most problems. We give the least time to the people with the most potential, because they are already doing well. We should invest our time in the people who respond the most.

► Look at the squares again. 80% of your activities accomplish 20% of the results. 20% of your activities accomplish 80% of the results. List your responsibilities and tasks. Do some of your activities produce few results? What activities should you do more?

Some people are very busy and feel that they can never do all of their work. They take on every task that they see, and they feel that all of the tasks are necessary. They worry that they will disappoint people who are depending on them, but they cannot finish everything in time. They are often tired and stressed. They cannot take time for planning, training, and development, because they always have something urgent to do. We need a balance between urgency and importance.

A person’s activities could be divided into four categories.[1]

Urgent and important things take our attention easily. This category includes preparing a sermon, helping someone with a medical emergency, and raising money for immediate needs.

Tasks that are urgent but not important usually relate to responsibilities we have taken on that we should not be doing. Sometimes they are personal projects that are not related to ministry. They may be business activities that are not producing much or are taking too much time away from better priorities. These activities may be urgent because they have to be done in time, yet they are not important for what they produce.

Activities that are not urgent and not important meet no significant need. If they were not done, there would be no great loss. Sometimes they relate to programs that no longer accomplish what they used to accomplish.

Activities that are not urgent but are important are often neglected. These are things that are not finished quickly but have long-term value. Examples are academic study (as a teacher or student), various forms of training, building construction, and producing written materials. Because these things cannot be finished today and will not benefit us today, we tend to focus on the things that are more urgent. A leader should invest time and resources in things that will have value in the future. As much as possible, this investment should happen daily.

Actions needed for the organization can be divided into two categories:

• Development takes the organization forward into new opportunities and growth.

• Management maintains present operations.

If a leader does not purposely focus on development, he will tend to give all of his time and attention to management. There is a wise saying: “The squeaky wheel gets the grease.” It refers to our tendency to give attention to problems that bother us right now.

Some leaders go from one problem to another, but never invest in the future. Organizations that are successful for a long time are usually ones that invest time and resources into research, development, and training. An organization that does not invest in the future will lose its effectiveness as situations change.

► Each student should make a list of all of his activities and responsibilities. Then draw four squares like the chart above and divide the activities into the squares. Consider: What things are you neglecting that are important but not urgent? Do you waste time on things that are not important and not urgent?

A leader is responsible to make sure everything gets done, but he does not need to do everything himself. He should delegate responsibilities to others. It is still his job to make sure the work is done well. He should be constantly arranging training and development for team members and potential team members so they can do more in the future.

A task is not delegated because it is unimportant. It is delegated because someone else can do it or be trained to do it, and because it is not something that must be done by the leader.

Some tasks cannot be delegated, because only the leader can do them. He represents the organization and speaks for it in a way that nobody else can. He also must be concerned about the future. He should see opportunities, dangers, and coming changes better than most other people do.

There may be specific tasks for which the leader has special abilities; therefore, he does not usually delegate those tasks. However, the leader should not keep tasks that can be delegated. Some leaders are never satisfied with the work of others and want to do all the work so it is done well.

Some leaders try to do everything and do not like to delegate. When they do delegate, they watch the work too closely and make all the decisions. This is not good leadership. A good leader builds a team of people who invest their energy and ideas. The team members set goals, develop methods, and participate in the decisions.

A good leader does not delegate only tasks; he delegates leadership. He allows others to lead activities. If he tells them exactly what to do and how to do it, he is not letting them lead. This style of leadership does not attract and develop potential leaders.

As a leader sets his priorities, he should consider some questions:

1. “Who can help me?” If there are many tasks that others can do but will not, you are not leading sufficiently.

2. “What are the tasks that cannot be done without me?” The leader should concentrate on those tasks. Examples are team development, vision formation, and long-term planning. These tasks do not have to be done by the leader alone, but they usually cannot be done without the leader.

Some people think that the leader has many privileges. They think his authority allows him to do whatever he wants. The reality is that the leader sacrifices his rights so that the group can succeed. The leader is not successful unless the group is successful.

[1]As a leader rises in position, his rights decrease, and his responsibilities increase. For example, at the lowest level of a business, a person works certain hours, performs certain tasks, and is not blamed for things beyond his responsibility.

At the high levels of an organization, a leader works unlimited hours and must provide whatever is needed. He may have to give up many personal privileges. There are times when he wants to rest, but he sacrifices to serve the organization. Many leaders are called with problems at any time of the day or night.

As a person’s responsibilities increase, he can make greater decisions in the organization; but he gives up personal privileges. This process has been illustrated with this diagram. At the bottom of the diagram, a person has a small amount of responsibility but many rights, because he can decide how much to commit. As his responsibilities increase, his personal rights decrease.

Consider the example of an athlete. A highly successful athlete may enjoy fame and wealth. However, he follows a strict diet, he exercises, and he practices his skill for hours every day. The life of a great musician is similar.

A person who prepares himself for an occupation in medicine or teaching at a high level must spend years in study. He cannot spend his time and money like others do. He misses many entertainment and recreation events. He may even deprive himself of basic necessities to pursue his goal.

A person trying to start a business has to devote resources to that purpose. He cannot spend all of the money he earns. He invests for future profit. He does not spend money for things like his friends do. His friends may criticize him for his carefulness, but in the future, he will have more than they do.

The person who will be a future leader should be investing in his future now. Sacrifice starts in the development stage. Choose to develop and invest in your future. Give priority to training, ministry practice, and time with leaders.

Your responsibilities may not seem important, but they develop your ability to work with people and give you the opportunity to build a reputation for reliability.

► Discuss the following paragraphs. What do the statements mean? What are some applications?

Sacrifice affirmation for accomplishment, security for significance, financial gain for future potential, immediate pleasure for personal growth, exploration for focus, and acceptable for excellent.[2]

Practice your priorities purposefully. “Before something can become a habit, it must first be practiced as a discipline.”[3]

The Apostle Paul described the commitment of an athlete. Athletes sacrifice because they are highly motivated to succeed (1 Corinthians 9:25-27). Paul makes the point that they are doing it for an earthly, temporary honor; we should be working for eternal reward. Our motivation is different than theirs, but it should not be less.

► How do you expect to change your goals or actions because of this lesson?

1. Priorities determine your goals and the way you choose to reach your goals.

2. Priorities enable you to recognize opportunities and select from them.

3. You will find fulfillment only in God’s will.

4. A good leader does not delegate only tasks; he delegates leadership.

5. As a leader rises in position, his rights decrease and his responsibilities increase.

1. Write a paragraph summarizing a life-changing concept from this lesson. Explain why it is important. What good can it do? What harm could result from not knowing it?

2. Explain how you will apply the principles of this lesson to your own life. How does this lesson change your goals? How do you plan to change your actions?

3. Memorize the Five Summary Statements for Lesson 7. Be prepared to write them from memory at the beginning of the next class session.

4. Before the next session, read 1 Samuel 13-15. List some of the problems with Saul’s leadership.