There’s a change that is happening in our culture. It’s not pretty. It’s actually pretty messy.
We’re not standing up for the activities that are priorities.
Photograph by Jim Danvers
We’ve given up control for a few bucks. For comfort.
This has been noticeable in the youth group I work with.
We have students that are on fire and enjoy coming to youth group. They encourage their friends to attend.
Then they get a job. Or join a sports team. Slowly, they stop coming.
Students stop coming because work REQUIRES them to work on Wednesday night. Or they can’t attend a youth event because they CANNOT miss a practice.
It shows that what was once a priority is no longer a priority. They’ve elevated work or practice or friends to a higher place.
Action expresses priorities.
— Mahatma Gandhi
It happens to us adults as well.
We trade family time for overtime at work. We trade church for a Sunday morning of working on the lawn. Or we spend our time in front of the TV instead of exercising.
And to be honest, there’s nothing wrong with this. If we do it once in awhile. But to do it over and over again is wrong.
We lie to ourselves. Telling ourselves that we MUST do these things or we may lose our job. Or that the lawn work will never get done unless we give up our time at church.
What we must do is set priorities and be willing to stand up for them.
That’s the difficult task. Standing up for your priorities.
You’ll face opposition from your boss, your friends, and from yourself. But it can be done.
I’ve experienced this challenge myself.
I applied at Circuit City for a job. After turning in my application I received a call for an interview. During the interview I told the manager that I needed Sundays and Wednesday nights of for church.
He told me that it would be a long shot unless I was able to work those days. I stood my ground and informed him that I couldn’t. These were days that were set aside for a purpose.
The interview ended and I figured I had lost my chance at the job.
Imagine my surprise when I got the call that I was hired. They were willing to allow me to have those days off.
It can be done. But you NEED to take a stand.
What’s more important:
- Family time or over-time at work?
- Your faith or yard work?
- Your health or the TV?
Decide today what your priorities are. Let them be a deciding factor in the decisions you make in life.
They will guide and direct you if you let them. If you don’t, someone else will tell you what your priorities are.
Decide what you want, decide what you are willing to exchange for it. Establish your priorities and go to work.
— H. L. Hunt
Question: How have you taken a stand for your priorities? Please share your experience in the comments section below.
Please note: I reserve the right to delete comments that are offensive or off-topic.