Getting to the Priorities

image courtesy of dreamstime.com

Priorities matter.  Some things in life are more important than others.  These areas have to be planned for and intentionally guarded lest they be totally neglected.

In a recent conversation with my friend and fellow staff member Brian Norris, I brought up to him the idea of prioritizing all of life with reference to relationships versus with reference to tasks.  I was asking for feedback.  I had found  myself prioritizing the first three areas of my life by relationship, but being task oriented after that.

Here’s what I was essentially doing on my priorities list:

1. Relationship with God.
2. Relationship with my wife.
3. Relationship with my children.
4. Music Ministry work.
5. Singles Ministry work.
6. Office Work.

I was thinking through prioritizing by relationships all the way through:

1. Relationship with God.
2. Relationship with my wife.
3. Relationship with my children.
4. Extended Family
5. People in Music Ministry.
6. The single adults in our ministry.

As you can see, this leaves off the office tasks.

As we discussed these thoughts, he said something that helped me: I do the tasks in order to be able to get to the people.

In other words, yes.  People are priority over tasks.  But tasks are part of our responsibility and often affect those relationships.

That thought typifies why I have been interested in productivity for the past couple of years.  I believe that there are tasks that are essential to the responsibilities we carry, but that they must be done in the most efficient way possible so we can minister relationally to the people we serve.

I will be writing some posts in the near future on practical things that have helped me be more productive.

Do you see priorities in light of relationships or tasks?