My Agenda

Paul is addressing a church that he had not founded, nor even visited. He longed to visit and teach believers in Rome in person, but he had so far been prevented because he had been so busy preaching the gospel in places where Christ was not yet known. Paul’s agenda consisted simply of fulfilling the mandate that he received from the Lord. All of his time and energy were devoted to this one priority.

Today life is hectic and there are many demands for our attention: work, family, church, projects, etc. We are called to choose between what is a priority, what is important and what is urgent.

We are forever dealing with the danger of living under what Charles Hummel called “the tyranny of the urgent” and unfortunately the urgent sometimes comes at the expense of what is our top priority.

Strange as it may seem, we can be actively doing and pursuing things for the Lord, yes, even things of an urgent nature and yet, somehow completely fail to accomplish that which is central and essential to his mission! The apostle Paul mastered what was essential to his mission: namely, to fulfill that for which God had called him to do and to subordinate everything else.

Every day has 24 hours, no more, no less. Time is so precious but God can grant us wisdom that will enable us to maximize the time that he has allotted to each of us.

Matthew 6:33 exhorts us to seek first the kingdom of God and all that he wants. He then promises to give us all things.

If I were to consult my agenda and examine my priorities of recent days, in all honesty, what would my ambitions and motivations in life look like?

Respond in Prayer

Lord, help me to know well the difference between priorities, important things and things urgent. May my agenda reflect the priorities that you have purposed for my life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Donald Tardif