REDISCOVERING THE PRIORITY
From Dr. Myles Munroe’s book Kingdom Principles
The greatest secret to living effectively on earth is understanding the principle and power of priorities. Life on earth holds no greater challenge than the complicating daily demand of choosing among competing alternatives for our limited time. Our life is the sum total of all decisions we make everyday, and those are determined by our priorities. How we use our time every day eventually defines our lives. Life was designed to be simple, not complicated, and the key to simplifying life is prioritization. Identifying the correct and right priority of life is the key to a successful and fulfilled life. So then, what is the principle and concept of priority?
Priority is defines as:
The principal thing.
Putting first things first.
Establishing the most important thing.
Primary focus.
Placing in order of importance.
Placing the highest value and worth upon.
First among all others.
If our priorities determine the quality of life and dictate all of our actions and behavior, then it is essential that we understand and identify our priorities. THE GREATEST TRAGEDY IN LIFE IS NOT DEATH BUT LIFE WITHOUT A PURPOSE – LIFE WITH THE WRONG PRIORITIES. Life’s greatest challenge is in knowing what to do. The greatest mistake in life is to be busy but not effective. Life’s greatest failure is to be successful in the wrong assignment. Success in life is measured in the effective use of one’s time.
Time is the true measure of life. In fact, time is the currency of life. How you spend your time determines the quality of your life and death. You become whatever you buy with your time. Always be aware that everything and everyone around you is vying for your life. And the key to effective use of your time is establishing correct priorities. First things first!
When your priorities are correct, you preserve and protect your life. Correct priority is the principle of progress because when you establish your priority according to your purpose and goals then your progress is guaranteed. Correct priority protects your time. When you set the right priorities, then you use your time for intentional purposes; your time is not abused or wasted. Correct priority protects your energy. Correct priority protects your talents and gifts. Correct priority protects your decisions. Correct priority protects your discipline. Correct priority simplifies your life.
Failure to establish correct priority causes you to waste your two most important commodities: your time and your energy. When your priorities are not correct you will find yourself busy with the wrong things, majoring in the minor, doing the unnecessary, or becoming preoccupied with the unimportant. Incorrect priorities in your life will cause you to invest in the less valuable, engage in ineffective activity, and abuse your gifts and talents. Ultimately, it will cause you to forfeit purpose, which results in failure.
Why is the principle of priority so important to our discussion of the Kingdom? Because if priority is the essence of life, then we should want to know what our priority should be so that we can live effectively. It may surprise you to know that most of the people in the world are driven by incorrect priorities that occupy and control their entire lives. What are these priorities that master most of the human race?
The answer is perhaps found in the work of behavioral scientist and psychologist Abraham Maslow who, after studying the motivations of human behavior, concluded that all human behavior is driven by the same basic “hierarchy of needs”:
1. Water
2. Food
3. Clothes
4. Housing
5. Protection
6. Security
7. Preservation
8. Self-actualization
9. Significance
It is important to note that Maslow listed these motivational needs in order of priority. Perhaps if we are honest, we would agree that the human rat race does indeed strive for all of these things. We go to work every day, and some even hold down two or more jobs, just to secure water, food, clothing, housing and protection. What a tragedy, to think that the basic priority driving most humans is that of simple survival!
Would it surprise you to learn that most religions are built around the promise to meet these very same needs as a priority? Meeting human needs is the premise of all religions. One common denominator of all religions is the effort to please or appease some deity in order to secure basic needs such as a good harvest, favorable weather, protection from enemies, etc. Another factor that all religions have in common is that their primary focus is on the needs of the worshipper. Priority in religious prayers and petitions is for personal needs. Human needs drive religion. Much of what we call “faith” is nothing more than striving for the very things on Maslow’s list.
From Dr. Myles Munroe’s book Kingdom Principles
The greatest secret to living effectively on earth is understanding the principle and power of priorities. Life on earth holds no greater challenge than the complicating daily demand of choosing among competing alternatives for our limited time. Our life is the sum total of all decisions we make everyday, and those are determined by our priorities. How we use our time every day eventually defines our lives. Life was designed to be simple, not complicated, and the key to simplifying life is prioritization. Identifying the correct and right priority of life is the key to a successful and fulfilled life. So then, what is the principle and concept of priority?
Priority is defines as:
The principal thing.
Putting first things first.
Establishing the most important thing.
Primary focus.
Placing in order of importance.
Placing the highest value and worth upon.
First among all others.
If our priorities determine the quality of life and dictate all of our actions and behavior, then it is essential that we understand and identify our priorities. THE GREATEST TRAGEDY IN LIFE IS NOT DEATH BUT LIFE WITHOUT A PURPOSE – LIFE WITH THE WRONG PRIORITIES. Life’s greatest challenge is in knowing what to do. The greatest mistake in life is to be busy but not effective. Life’s greatest failure is to be successful in the wrong assignment. Success in life is measured in the effective use of one’s time.
Time is the true measure of life. In fact, time is the currency of life. How you spend your time determines the quality of your life and death. You become whatever you buy with your time. Always be aware that everything and everyone around you is vying for your life. And the key to effective use of your time is establishing correct priorities. First things first!
When your priorities are correct, you preserve and protect your life. Correct priority is the principle of progress because when you establish your priority according to your purpose and goals then your progress is guaranteed. Correct priority protects your time. When you set the right priorities, then you use your time for intentional purposes; your time is not abused or wasted. Correct priority protects your energy. Correct priority protects your talents and gifts. Correct priority protects your decisions. Correct priority protects your discipline. Correct priority simplifies your life.
Failure to establish correct priority causes you to waste your two most important commodities: your time and your energy. When your priorities are not correct you will find yourself busy with the wrong things, majoring in the minor, doing the unnecessary, or becoming preoccupied with the unimportant. Incorrect priorities in your life will cause you to invest in the less valuable, engage in ineffective activity, and abuse your gifts and talents. Ultimately, it will cause you to forfeit purpose, which results in failure.
Why is the principle of priority so important to our discussion of the Kingdom? Because if priority is the essence of life, then we should want to know what our priority should be so that we can live effectively. It may surprise you to know that most of the people in the world are driven by incorrect priorities that occupy and control their entire lives. What are these priorities that master most of the human race?
The answer is perhaps found in the work of behavioral scientist and psychologist Abraham Maslow who, after studying the motivations of human behavior, concluded that all human behavior is driven by the same basic “hierarchy of needs”:
1. Water
2. Food
3. Clothes
4. Housing
5. Protection
6. Security
7. Preservation
8. Self-actualization
9. Significance
It is important to note that Maslow listed these motivational needs in order of priority. Perhaps if we are honest, we would agree that the human rat race does indeed strive for all of these things. We go to work every day, and some even hold down two or more jobs, just to secure water, food, clothing, housing and protection. What a tragedy, to think that the basic priority driving most humans is that of simple survival!
Would it surprise you to learn that most religions are built around the promise to meet these very same needs as a priority? Meeting human needs is the premise of all religions. One common denominator of all religions is the effort to please or appease some deity in order to secure basic needs such as a good harvest, favorable weather, protection from enemies, etc. Another factor that all religions have in common is that their primary focus is on the needs of the worshipper. Priority in religious prayers and petitions is for personal needs. Human needs drive religion. Much of what we call “faith” is nothing more than striving for the very things on Maslow’s list.
1 comment:
This was an awesome devotional!...it really exposes the underpinnings of our day to day toil and challenges us to prioritize our options.
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