Category Archives: Christ-like Priorities & Purposes

We all have priorities, that which we deem as most important. We tend to invest most of our time, energy, and resources into what truly matters to us. As followers of Jesus, we need to ask if what we value most is what He views as the greatest priorities in life. Do we have the right priorities in our lives? How do keep His priorities at the top of our list?

Identifying What’s Most Important

Certainly it makes sense that if Jesus identified two commandments as the greatest, those commands should be our top priorities. In short, He said that loving God with all of who we are should come first. Love for people comes next. See Matthew 22:36-40.

Reflect on these priorities by clicking on the following links:

• Loving God the Top Priority in Your Church?
• Loving People a Priority in Your Church?
• Prioritized Schedules: The Number One Priority
• Prioritized Schedules: The Second Priority

Keeping the Our Top Priorities

In the busyness of life, we can easily lose sight of what’s most important. We get caught up on all we have to do to the point that we neglect our relationship with God and often important people in our lives. Further, our old sin nature pushes us to self-fulfillment and self-gratification, making ourselves most important rather than God and others. How do we keep the right priorities?

It’s easy to say we love God and people, but another thing to live it out. Maintaining these priorities, however, is possible regardless of our life circumstances if we begin with the right perspective and continue by pulling on a power outside of ourselves. Take time to reflect on these realities by clicking on the links listed below:

• Keeping the Right Priorities Takes Perspective
• Keeping the Right Priorities Takes Divine Power

God’s Word informs us of what we need to do to ensure that we make wise and godly decisions. (Be sure to read: Biblical Tips for Decision-Making) The question we must ask is if our personalities are getting in the way of biblically-based decisions. We need to get beyond ourselves when making decisions and align with God and His Word.

Let’s heed the warning, “Do not be wise in your own eyes” (Prov. 3:7). Rather, “in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight” (Prov. 3:6-7). We do that as we come under the guidance of His Word which “is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path” (Ps. 119:105).

Understand How Your Personality Can Affect Decision-Making

When we understand how our personalities might sway decision-making, we can take a step back and recalculate where needed.

• Are you very analytical? (melancholic, C in DISC)

If so, your decisions will tend to be well thought through but you could slow down the process by too much deliberation and frustrate others because of it if not careful.

• Are you more intuitive, going by feelings or circumstances? (sanguine, I in DISC)

If so, you might not be getting all the facts in making decisions and miss the mark.

• Do you tend to make rash decisions? (choleric, D in DISC)

If so, your decisions might at times be a bit premature, sometimes what God wants eventually, but not always, and you could ignore the wise input of others if not careful.

• Do you tend to put off making decisions? (phlegmatic, S in DISC)

If so, your procrastination could make decisions a bit late for averting unnecessary problems or more work than necessary.

• Do you tend to look for creative alternatives? (melancholic, C in DISC)

If so, you can bring some fresh ideas to the table but must learn to release those ideas to God and not sulk if they aren’t used.

• Do you tend to look for what works in the moment? (sanguine, I in DISC)

If so, you might be missing the big picture effect of your decisions.

• Do you tend to look for what conforms to what you’ve done in the past? (phlegmatic, S in DISC)

If so, you might get stuck in traditions and miss out of where God wants to take you.

• Do you tend to want to take risks? (choleric, D in DISC)

If so, you might experience new and innovative ideas but need to make sure it’s a faith risk guided by God.

• Do you tend to want to play it safe? (phlegmatic, S in DISC)

If so, you might avoid conflict and danger but you might also be failing to exercise faith in God’s ability to do the extraordinary.

• Do you tend to aggressively stand up for your decisions, debating any who oppose you? (choleric, D in DISC)

If so, you might get your way but in the process alienate people.

• Do you tend to quickly cave in to those who oppose you? (phlegmatic, S in DISC)

If so, you might be putting people’s desires above God’s in your compromising.

Decisions Aligned with God and His Word are So Much Better

We need to acknowledge how our personalities might negatively or positively affect the decision-making process and follow a process that is biblically based. That kind of decision making aligns with God and His ways. He assures us that “as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isa. 55:9). Our ways may seem good but His ways are so much better.

What are you using as a grid for making decisions? What guides your decision-making process?

More in the Train Church Leaders Practicum: Decision-Making

We make a lot of decisions each day. How can we know if we’re making the right decisions? — When we follow principles laid out in God’s Word, we have the help we need for decision-making.

An Acrostic Filled with Biblical Principles to Help with Decision-Making

Conclusions about making decisions can be drawn through the following Scripture verses leading to principles we can apply to the decision-making process.

How Confident are You in the Decisions You Make?

The more we apply the above principles to our everyday lives, the more confident we can become that we will make the right choices. To help, print this PDF and take time to read through the Scripture for each point. Revisit it regularly, particularly if you struggle to make the right decisions. You can even use it to guide your prayers, asking the Lord for help, especially with the principles you struggle to follow.

Also Check out the TrainChurchLeaders.com Practicum: Decision-Making

We all need help to be wise and discerning. We all need guidance to be victorious. Getting guidance is biblical.

Let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance. (Prov. 1:5)

For lack of guidance a nation falls, but many advisers make victory sure. (Prov. 11:14)

Make plans by seeking advice; if you wage war, obtain guidance. (Prov. 20:18)

For waging war you need guidance, and for victory many advisers. (Prov. 24:6)

God-Established Means to Guide Us

In a previous post we noted that it only makes sense to turn to God first for guidance. That, however, doesn’t mean we can never look elsewhere for guidance. What we must learn, however, is that they must be God-established means for wisdom and discernment such as the following:

1. Instruction of God’s Word – Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path. (Ps. 119:105)

If we need guidance, the best place to begin is by taking heed to what God has already made clear in His Word.

2. Integrity in Our Heart – The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity. (Prov. 11:3)

When we focus on who we should be in Christ, we will tend to do what we should do. We will be guided by His righteousness and truth.

3. Advice of Other People – Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed. (Prov. 15:22)

We must be cautioned, however, that not everyone will prove to be a good source of guidance. Some could lead us astray. These are people who don’t practice what they teach others to do (Rom. 2:19-21). They may even have worse problems than us yet act like they have it altogether so we trust them (Matt. 23:24). Jesus said, “Leave them; they are blind guides. If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit.” (Matt. 15:14)

The Bottom Line in Seeking Guidance

We should seek God first with all of our heart . If still unsure about what to do, we might ask other believers who are wise and filled with integrity for help sorting things out. However, we must always weigh what they say against God and His Word. God’s ways will never violate His righteous character and the truth of His Word.

As Christians we may seek guidance to know God’s will for specifics in our lives. While that may be important, let’s also look at the bigger picture of where God wants to guide us:

in paths of righteousness (Ps. 23:3)
in His truth (Ps. 25:5)
in what is right (Ps. 25:9)

When led in the above directions, the particulars often fall into place.

God Leads Us in Paths of Righteousness and Truth Because of Who He Is

God’s ways are always right and best, higher than ours (Isa. 55:11), because He is righteous and true. It therefore only makes sense that we line up with Him and His ways. When we cooperate with Him, we can’t go wrong in life. When we fail to follow His ways, somehow thinking we know better, we’re heading down the path of destruction (Prov. 14:12). But, the Lord “guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way” (Ps. 25:8-10)

The best thing we can do to get guidance in the specifics of our lives is to seek God first. Get to know Him better. When we make Him the priority in our lives rather than our accomplishments, careers, or even ministry, everything else tends to make more sense. — “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matt. 6:33)

Why We Struggle to Accept Where God’s Guidance in the Specifics May Take Us

Sometimes we just need to head down the path of righteousness and truth and trust God for the rest. Think of Abram of the Old Testament. God told Him to leave His country and family for the unknown and God would bless him and all the peoples of the earth through him. Abram knew God enough to trust Him, so he “went, as the LORD had told him” (Gen. 12:1-4).

We may struggle to follow the paths of His righteousness and truth without some kind of sign, or tangible demonstration that something is of God. We do read of people in the Bible asking for a fleece and God responding. Yet, we can almost hear the disappointment in Jesus’ words, “Unless you people see miraculous signs and wonders, … you will never believe.” (Jn. 4:48). How much better it is to believe without God having to prove Himself as seen in Jesus’ words to the disciples in John 20:29. — “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

Perhaps our struggle, however, is more than insecurities, doubts, and fears. Maybe we fail to turn to Him first for guidance because we don’t want to take the higher road in certain situations. We somehow think we’d better off doing life our own way. We simply may not want to do what we think He’s going to ask of us. Or, we may have sin in our lives that we’re not ready to let go.

Maybe it’s time to pray, “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” (Ps. 139:23-24).