Living Intentionally - Scrap Your Priorities

Living Intentionally - Scrap Your Priorities

THE SUCCESS and prosperity we enjoy in this great country have come at the expense of millions of men and women who, over the past two hundred and thirty-four years, refused to give up. We’re a tribe of dogmatic individuals who strive 24-7 to have it all. We are not sissies. But as a society we haven’t a clue how to live intentionally because we don’t know when to throw in the towel.

That phrase comes from the sport of boxing. When the fighter is just too exhausted to continue and his coach realizes he can’t succeed, the coach throws a towel into the ring to indicate that the fight is over. I love the imagery here—the boxer, too close to his own struggle, doesn’t make the call, but his coach, who sees the situation objectively, makes the decision for him. The priority to win is scrapped to fulfill the priority to live. I think to live intentionally we have to know when to throw in the towel—when to scrap some of our priorities—and rarely can we make this call on our own.

One of the most popular Truth Nugget series I have written was the one titled “Spread Too Thin.” The response from women, coast to coast, in all stages of life was overwhelming. But the single most-oft repeated message was, “My husband has been telling me this for years.” And all of these women wondered why their husbands or boyfriends could see what they couldn’t.

Like the boxing coach, sometimes your best friend or your partner can see when you’ve put yourself in a position where you can’t possibly succeed at living; they can see that you’re only existing.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart;do not depend on your own understanding.Seek his will in all you do,and he will show you which path to take. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

Can you have it all? Of course you can! Just not every day. And not in every life stage.