Juggling Personal Priorities

I. Introduction: There are so many things trying to get our attention every day: spouse, parents, children, work, recreation, etc. We realize that we need to spend time with our Lord yet we often find him squeezed out of our lives. In handling all of these priorities, we must go to the Word of God.

II. We must consider many earthly priorities every day.

A. Spouse

B. 1 Corinthians 7:33 – The married person cares for his spouse. Marital happiness depends on each spouse showing love and concern for the other each day. To really show our love and concern we must take time to talk, share, and enjoy one another’s company.

C. Children

D. Parents are the caregivers for their children.

E. When parents have children, the demands are immediate and seem to be never ending. Children need to be fed or have food prepared for them, dressed (which means the clothes must be clean), bathed, supervised, etc. Children consume a great amount of time.

F. Extracurricular Activities

G. When kids reach a certain age they may want to participate in sports, music, or other activities. Children must be taken to practices, games, concerts, plays, etc. Sometimes, with many kids and many activities, parents would do well to drive an RV so they can live more comfortably on the road!

H. School activities/Homework

I. In addition to extracurricular activities, there are activities in the school such as parent/teacher conferences, parental help for the school (PTO), fund raisers, etc. Nearly every night the children have homework that must be checked or the parents may need to assist their child in homework.

J. Parents

K. Some people have parents who need physical care on a regular basis and the children, though grown, must administer that care.1 Timothy 5:3-4 – It is good for children to learn piety at home. Even if the parents do not need much physical care, one must plan time to spend with them for their benefit as well as the parents benefit.

L. Work

M. Both spouses have work responsibilities that must be met, even if both spouses do not work outside of the home.2 Thessalonians 3:10 – If a man doesn’t work, he shouldn’t eat.1 Timothy 5:8 – If any does not take care of his own he has denied the faith. Titus 2:3-5 – Responsibility of the wife to be a homemaker In dual income families, many responsibilities are shared, which is something that must be managed.

N. Recreation

O. 1 Timothy 4:8 – Recreation provides some profit. We often need some activity or hobby to allow our mind to rest and our bodies to remain healthy. The purpose of recreation is to “re-create” ourselves so that we may be more effective.

III. Principles in setting priorities

A. Spiritual priorities must come first

B. Matthew 6:33-34 – seek first God’s kingdom.

C. It helps us to put other things in their proper place. We realize that God is taking care of our basic needs. Matthew 10:37-39 – Priority over family and ourselves.

D. Colossians 3:2 – We are to set our mind on heavenly things.

E. All decisions must be made in light of heavenly implications. Setting our mind above helps us to remember the superiority of the spiritual things in our lives over the physical.2 Peter 3:10-13 – We must live godly in this passing world.

F. Redeeming the time

G. Many would not feel so overwhelmed if we they manage their time better. Each of us has the same 24 hours each day but we use it in different ways. Ephesians 5:15-16 – We are to walk circumspectly (carefully considering where we walk and how) buying back the time. Colossians 4:5 – Walk in wisdom, redeeming the time. There are many books on time management. No one method is perfect for everyone, but there is some way that will work for you. We often do not have time for the work of the kingdom, because we have not managed our time well; just as we cannot contribute to the Lord’s work as we should if we do not manage our money well. We are cheating God when we cannot work for the kingdom because we will not manage the time that he has given us.

IV. Putting earthly priorities in order

A. Family

B. Spouse/Children/Parents

C. It is an important investment of time to spend time with the family. In the 80’s the popular phrase was, “it’s not the quantity of the time that you spend, but the quality of the time.” This idea was espoused by people who were spending great amounts of time at work and recreation and had little time for family. Well, it is the “quality” of the time but there should be great “quantities” of time as well. Some people who espoused the “quality” time principle had several hobbies, sports that they played, and worked unnecessary overtime. We need to evaluate our activities to see if we are spending too much time in activities, that while not wrong in themselves, can take away time from our families and the Lord’s work.

D. Extracurricular/School activities

E. Parents must help their children manage their time spent in school and other activities. Parents should help their children understand the importance of putting God first in their lives and managing other activities around them. We should make sure that we are regulating our children’s activities in their interests instead of worldly expectations.

F. Spiritual growth

G. The primary responsibility of parents is to raise their children up in the nurture and the admonition of the Lord. We must spend much time making sure that they know the Bible story, Biblical lessons and applications, and proper decision making. Too often time spent in Bible study as a family is neglected due to outside activities of the children and the parents.

H. Household responsibilities

I. There are many things that must be done to keep the house going that must be managed. It is a great way for children to learn responsibility by involving them. Husbands can help their wives make good use of their time by helping with the upkeep of the house.

V. Work

A. Work is a means to an end, not the end itself, Ephesians 4:28.

B. Work is noble and required, but it must be kept in perspective.

VI. Recreation/Time for ourselves

A. Like work, recreation must be kept in perspective.

B. We can involve ourselves in so many activities that we do not have the time to serve God as we should.

C. We can involve ourselves in so many activities that we do not have the money to give to God as we should.

D. Activities that are not wrong by themselves can be wrong if:

E. An inordinate amount of time is spent in it and the time is not spent with family and the work of the Lord. An inordinate amount of energy spent in activities that make us too tired to study, teach, or fulfill family responsibilities. Recreation can become an idol that causes us to neglect worship, study, teaching opportunities, family responsibilities, etc.

F. These principles apply to activities that we participate in and watch.

VII. Other principles with managing priorities

A. Sometimes we must learn to say “no” to additional activities for ourselves or our children in order to manage our priorities.

B. We must seek balance for ourselves and our children with work, family time, personal time, recreation, and, most importantly, spiritual life.

VIII. What are we here for? Ecclesiastes 12:13-14