There are so many things to do its hard to figure out which to do first. Normally the first to get done is the one that will relieve the most pressure. It sure seems like its the most important. But is that the one that should top the priority list? To whom is it most important? What purpose will it fulfill? What are the consequences if left undone?
Its only natural to rank priorities in the order that will best serve the individuals purpose. Often that means performing a task that is menial to the detriment of something more meritorious. How does one go about determining the juxtaposition of daily events?
Solomon dealt with this issue in Ecclesiastes. He first established that everything had a season. "A time for every purpose under heaven." He then turns from the temporal to the eternal. "He [God] made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from the beginning to end." God has put eternity in the hearts of His creation. Man was made for eternity.
Everything Solomon spoke of as having a season he regards as temporal. Solomon offers two perspectives, the temporal and the eternal. Man was made for eternity while everything else was made for time. If that is true, then nothing in time can truly satisfy man. The only thing that can satisfy man is that which is eternal.
This eternal perspective sheds a different light on any list of priorities. The apostle Paul said "Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth." When determining priorities the eternal perspective is the only one that really matters.
Friday, January 28, 2011
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
New Beginnings
A new year has dawned and new adventures await. It could be the same old adventures just repackaged to look new. Or it could be new and improved adventures with little or no similarity to past years. Or it could be misadventures that take center stage. The beauty of the future is we just don't know what adventures will occur, which ones will be exciting, and which ones won't.
If we could live in the present yet know the future, we might avoid the misadventures and revel in the new. But alas, we can't. We must live in the present and hope for positive results in the future.
Isn't that really a better scenario? There would be no adventure in knowing the outcome of the future. It would be like watching reruns on television. There would be nothing new or innovative. Instead it would be the same routine everyday much like the Bill Murray movie Groundhog Day.
Sooner or later that lifestyle would breed contempt.
Spontaneity, a touch of the unknown, and a dose of diversity make for an exciting lifestyle. Live life for the adventure. Don't miss the excitement of not knowing the outcome.
If we could live in the present yet know the future, we might avoid the misadventures and revel in the new. But alas, we can't. We must live in the present and hope for positive results in the future.
Isn't that really a better scenario? There would be no adventure in knowing the outcome of the future. It would be like watching reruns on television. There would be nothing new or innovative. Instead it would be the same routine everyday much like the Bill Murray movie Groundhog Day.
Sooner or later that lifestyle would breed contempt.
Spontaneity, a touch of the unknown, and a dose of diversity make for an exciting lifestyle. Live life for the adventure. Don't miss the excitement of not knowing the outcome.
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Lessons
Learning is a life-long project. One is never too old to learn even though the lessons may be painful. Getting the lesson correct takes an examination of the circumstances and a willingness to adapt one's life to the learning process.
Often we question why something happens, doesn't happen, or isn't happening fast enough. We get impatient if the process takes too long, nervous if it's over too fast, and quizzical if it's just right. All the while failing to consider that the lesson may be in the way we conduct ourselves during the timing of the circumstance. Looking back it is sometimes possible to appreciate an in and out experience with little if any thought as to what we should take away from the circumstance.
Confusion and disappointment are two issues that plague many in this life-long contest. "What am I supposed to learn from this," may be the most popular question people ask. Be assured there is a lesson to be learned and an adjustment needed in life as a result of discovering the answer. So often we are so caught up in the moment that we fail to see the most basic answer - being thankful that there is a God Who loves us so much He wants us to appreciate all He does for us. He simply wants us to take the time to be thankful and appreciate His goodness.
Often we question why something happens, doesn't happen, or isn't happening fast enough. We get impatient if the process takes too long, nervous if it's over too fast, and quizzical if it's just right. All the while failing to consider that the lesson may be in the way we conduct ourselves during the timing of the circumstance. Looking back it is sometimes possible to appreciate an in and out experience with little if any thought as to what we should take away from the circumstance.
Confusion and disappointment are two issues that plague many in this life-long contest. "What am I supposed to learn from this," may be the most popular question people ask. Be assured there is a lesson to be learned and an adjustment needed in life as a result of discovering the answer. So often we are so caught up in the moment that we fail to see the most basic answer - being thankful that there is a God Who loves us so much He wants us to appreciate all He does for us. He simply wants us to take the time to be thankful and appreciate His goodness.
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