Last night, I taught the first part of a lesson on priorities.  In preparing for the lesson, I had to think a lot about the things that I value.  In thinking about the things that I value, I had to think about the way that I spend my time.  I had to be honest about what I make a priority in my life.

Some of the time, what I say I value and the way I spend my time do not match up.  For example, I may say, I value God, family, friends, calling/ministry and work, but the way I spend my time may not reveal that this is what I value and especially in this order.

While I value all of these things, there may be other things that I value that in my mind, I am not even aware of.  Does this make me a bad person?  No, it makes me a person and that is what we do.  We often say one thing and do another.  Does this mean that I have work to do?  Yes, of course it does.

It is true that there is a difference between quantity and quality when it comes to time and who and how we spend it, and I have noticed that if I am not careful, I can use this as an excuse to justify what I value and get my priorities all out of whack.  If I am honest with myself, then I realize that the priority fight is a full-time, never-ending battle.

The more I think about it and as I look back on my life, I have really messed this one up and wasted a lot of time.  I am thankful that my Creator is understanding with me and I want to honor His love, acceptance and grace by getting my values right and my priorities in order, so that my life will bring Him glory.

I’ve got a lot of work to do, and being honest with myself and others about this is a very big first step.  I want to encourage you to take a little time to think about what you value and the priorities of your life.  Also take some time to look at your life and how you spend your time.  What is the way your spend your time really telling you about what you value?

If you are honest in your evaluation, then I am almost certain that you will find some adjustments that need to be made and some changes that are worth embracing.  Go ahead and think about it, in the long run, you will be glad you did!