Setting Priorities

One of the crucial steps to getting a New Year off to a rousing start is to take the time to set your priorities for the upcoming months. Christ shared with his disciples in Matthew 6:25-27 to set their priorities and to not be anxious about the future; “Therefore, I tell you, do not be anxious about your life; what you will eat or what you will drink nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more that clothing?

How do you measure up when it comes to setting priorities for your life?

The following story was sent to me recently and it so eloquently illustrates the need to take control of your life and to surrender it to the Master’s touch….see if you don’t agree!

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the story of the mayonnaise jar and the 2 beers.

A professor stood before his philosophy class with some items in front of him. When the class began, he quietly picked up a very large, empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was. The professor then picked up a box of pebbles, poured them into the jar and shook it lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full….they agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured its contents into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The response was a unanimous 'yes!' The professor then produced two beers from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar…. effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

'Now,' said the professor as the laughter subsided, 'I want you to understand that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things---your faith, your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favorite passions---and if everything else was lost and only these remained…. your life would still be full! The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house, your car. The sand is everything else---the small stuff” 'If you put the sand into the jar first,' he continued, 'there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life…..

If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you. Pay attention to the things that are critical for your happiness so you can….

Spend time with your children.
Spend time with your parents and visit your grandparents.
Get medical checkups and follow your doctor’s advice.
Take your spouse out to dinner and get away for a romantic weekend at least once a year.
Play another 18 or dig in the dirt…there will always be time to clean the house or fix the disposal.


Take care of the golf balls first---the things that really matter.


Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the beer represented. The professor smiled and said, 'I'm glad you asked.' The beer just shows you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of beers with a friend.

So take heart and remember…..seek ye first the kingdom and everything else you need will be provided from your Heavenly Father.

Living one day at a time…looking for His return,
WPQ