Goal: Getting My Priorities In Order

I wanted to share about my list of priorities that I now have stuck up on my computer monitor.  I realized one day that I really needed a list in a place that I would see them often and be reminded of their importance. 

My life as a wife and mother tended to be one distracting adventure after the other. Often I would get to a point of feeling so overwhelmed and I would look for ways of doing things that would take some of the burden and stress out of my life.  Usually I would read a book or talk to friends or watch a show on a topic that would give me the tips I would need for more efficient and stress free living.  The problem is that there are a million books, a TV show on every channel and a lot of the time my friends advice would conflict with another friends advice. All of those things were taking up so much of my time and leaving me feeling even more overwhelmed and stressed.  

Don't get me wrong, I value each of those sources of knowledge and absolutely appreciate the wisdom of a woman with experience. I learn so much from other women that I respect and admire.  I think it only becomes a problem when we begin to idolize that advice.  We can be ever seeking the wisdom and forget to seek the wisdom giver.  We begin to spin in circles and get so distracted with trying to find the answers that we miss the point of having questions to begin with.  God created us without all of the answers because He wants us to seek Him.  He wants us to realize our need for Him and His hand in our daily lives. 

As I began to allow God to be the one I went to first for the answers to my questions He spoke to me very clearly about priorities.  I have so many things that creep into my day and demand my attention but what are the priorities?  These are the things that, in spite of everything else, I desire to be very intentional about and God has put it on my heart to make sure that I make time for them above everything else. 

My list is very simple.  It is 5 things and that is it.  Simplicity equals freedom for me. It is like a weight lifted off of me. It means that every day I am working towards the goals I have and the calling that has been given to me.   All of the other things can pile up but these things matter for eternity. 

When I didn't have this list the less important things tended to rule my days.  It has been absolutely amazing that when I focus on this list of priorities I somehow seem to get so much more done in a day.  I also don't seem to get stressed as much about getting it all done.  I am confident that God's to do list for me is far more important than my own and if His list for me is this simple then I can rest in knowing that I am walking obedience and His yoke really is easy and His burden really is light (Matthew 11:30).