How do I set or develop the right priorities?

Deuteronomy 10:12-13“What does the Lord your God require of you? He requires only that you fear the Lord your God, and live in a way that pleases him, and love him and serve him with all your heart and soul. And you must always obey the Lord’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good.”

Joshua 24:15“Choose today whom you will serve. . . . But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.”

Jeremiah 35:15Time after time I sent you prophets, who told you, “Turn from your wicked ways, and start doing things right. Stop worshiping other gods so that you might live in peace here in the land I have given to you and your ancestors.” But you would not listen to me or obey me.

John 3:16“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”

We need to realize that we choose our own priorities, whether we’re aware of it or not. There is no greater priority than loving and obeying God, and accepting Jesus’ gift of salvation. Nothing affects our eternal future so significantly, and nothing will alter our immediate future so significantly.

Proverbs 3:5-6Trust 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.

Realize your priorities are your default actions—what you tend to do automatically. There are only so many things that can demand your attention at once. Putting God first in your life is not only your first priority, but it also helps put all your other priorities in the proper order.

1 Kings 3:9“Give me an understanding heart so that I can govern your people well and know the difference between right and wrong. For who by himself is able to govern this great people of yours?”

Tenaciously seeking after God’s wisdom is the way to discern all the right priorities. These priorities naturally flow from making God the true center of our lives.

1 Samuel 14:36Then Saul said, “Let’s chase the Philistines all night and plunder them until sunrise. Let’s destroy every last one of them.” His men replied, “We’ll do whatever you think is best.” But the priest said, “Let’s ask God first.”

When we ask for God’s input before setting our priorities, this reveals that God is first on our priority list.

Matthew 6:33“Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.”

We must be intentional about our priorities and make them all subject to God’s approval. Make sure they all align with the teachings of Scripture. Ask for counsel from wise peers and advisors. When we set and check our priorities first, we will be on the right track for a satisfying and meaningful life.

Judges 17:6In those days Israel had no king; all the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes.

When we fail to test our priorities against God’s Word, we will almost certainly turn away from what is right in God’s eyes. Allowing our personal desires and wishes to define our priorities will only lead us to bad places.

Ecclesiastes 2:11But as I looked at everything I had worked so hard to accomplish, it was all so meaningless—like chasing the wind. There was nothing really worthwhile anywhere.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-11For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven. A time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant and a time to harvest. A time to kill and a time to heal. A time to tear down and a time to build up. A time to cry and a time to laugh. A time to grieve and a time to dance. A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones. A time to embrace and a time to turn away. A time to search and a time to quit searching. A time to keep and a time to throw away. A time to tear and a time to mend. A time to be quiet and a time to speak. A time to love and a time to hate. A time for war and a time for peace. What do people really get for all their hard work? I have seen the burden God has placed on us all. Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end.

Realize that some priorities are seasonal. If the required actions aren’t taken at the appropriate times, the results will not be satisfactory. The matter of eternity should shape all our priorities, remembering that our time here on earth is short.

Luke 10:40-42Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.” But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.”

The key to keeping first things first is to set your priorities early. Don’t let others decide how to arrange your day—that should be between you and God. If you make time with the Lord your first priority of each day, you will find that he will give you perspective on everything else that follows. Ask God to show you what is really worth being concerned about.

1 Samuel 14:36Saul said, “Let’s chase the Philistines all night and plunder them until sunrise. Let’s destroy every last one of them.” His men replied, “We’ll do whatever you think is best.” But the priest said, “Let’s ask God first.”

Matthew 8:22Jesus told him, “Follow me now. Let the spiritually dead bury their own dead.”

Putting God first in your life is not only your first priority. It also helps you put all your other priorities in order.

Matthew 28:19“Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”

Helping others come to faith in Jesus should always be one of your top priorities.