We live in a time when people value busyness. If your schedule is full and your to-do list is long, people assume you’re living a pretty successful life. But is that necessarily so?
The answer depends on what we’ve put on that schedule and that to-do list. As author Stephen Covey said, “The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.”[1]
If we search our hearts, many of us would say we want a close relationship with God, a happy family, good health, and good relationships. But if we don’t make time for those most important things, then before we know it, other demands of life quickly crowd them out.
Seeing that this was happening in his own life, one man decided to turn things upside down. He wrote a list of his real priorities. When he put God at the top, he realized he needed to schedule a block of time for daily prayer and scripture reading. And he decided that time needed to come first, not after dashing about all day left him too tired. No, he would let his first conversation each day be with God.
Suddenly the other things took care of themselves. Taking some time for spiritual connection improved all his other connections—with his family, coworkers, and neighbors. His life was better because his priorities were better.
Similarly, a busy woman wished she had more time to serve her neighbors, so she decided to make time. She set a daily reminder on her smartphone, calling it simply “Show a neighbor some love.” Her simple acts of love didn’t take long, but they did take a conscious choice.
When we feel dissatisfied with life, maybe our problem isn’t that we’ve failed; it’s that we’re succeeding at the wrong things. When we’re true to our highest priorities, we’re more relaxed, and our thoughts are clearer, our step is lighter. We know who we are and where we’re going. When we place eternal things ahead of material things, we are on the path toward the only success that matters—success that lasts forever.
[1] Stephen R. Covey, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (2004), 161.
February 11, 2024
Broadcast Number 4,926
The Tabernacle Choir
Orchestra at Temple Square
Conductor
Mack Wilberg
Organist
Andrew Unsworth
Host
Lloyd Newell
Praise to the Lord, the Almighty
from Stralsund Gesangbuch; Arr. Mack Wilberg
Awake and Arise, All Ye Children of Light
Welsh melody; Arr. Mack Wilberg
Prelude on “Middlebury”
Dale Wood
Alleluia
attr. Giulio Caccini; Arr. Mack Wilberg
The Prayer, from Quest for Camelot
Carole Bayer Sager and David Foster
I Believe in Christ
John Longhurst; Arr. Mack Wilberg