How to Accomplish What’s Most Important

If you’ve ever looked at a really good photograph, you know that simplicity is key. Consider the beauty of a single yellow rose.  It amazes us with its beauty, captures our attention and delights us with its story.  The simpler the picture, the easier it is to focus on the subject and the more we seem to enjoy. A cluttered image, on the other hand, distracts us with its complexity preventing us from understanding the most important part.

This analogy can help us better understand the benefit of focus in our lives.  When we focus on our priorities, we accomplish what’s truly important in life. Simplicity comes when we begin to do less so that we may experience more. How well do you focus on your priorities? Do you spend time focused on what really matters? When Jesus lived His life on earth, He did so with such singleness of purpose that He said He could do nothing without the Father – that the Father and He were One.  What’s so astounding is that He invites each one of us to that same sense of unity with God in Him.  Scripture tells us all we need to do is to seek God and abide in Christ. Jesus Himself said, “Seek first the kingdom of God and all things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33).  This means as you prioritize what you do, if you put God first and what God wants to accomplish in and through your life, you won’t have to worry about getting all your other needs met, because God will handle all the other things.”  A simple approach to setting priorities. Stephen Covey, in his book First Things First, says we can plot everything we do in a given day into one of four quadrants.  He says we can also categorize these activities based on their urgency and/or importance.  All quadrants are not created equal. He notes that for many people – unfortunately – they spend a majority of their waking hours dealing with urgent, but unimportant things (which he calls the quadrant of deception), unplanned activities seeming to cry out for their attention. This is not the ideal.

We would be better off spending the majority of our time on things that are important, but not urgent , what Covey calls the quadrant of quality and personal leadership. That’s the goal. This becomes easier with planning, a little bit of discipline and with prayer. Let God help.The picture of a life centered on God consists of putting Him first and of giving Him first place. He will help you. There is nothing to big or too small for His concern. The Bible says He knows the number of hairs on your head (Matthew 10:30) and keeps each of your tears in a bottle (Psalm 56:8).  He cares for you.  Put Him first in your life and He will increase your capacity to get things done and will pour out blessings on you. Let God Help and all these things will be added to you.