2010: A Year of Priorities

My last post was the forerunner of this one, but hopefully I will be better able to communicate my thoughts this time. A lot has changed in my life since my first post. Yesterday I assumed the guardianship of a teenager who had no place to live. This was not planned, it happened in 5 days time. To say the least, this has changed my perspective for the year, let alone my reality. Needless to say, my available time will no longer be the same. It should be interesting, to say the least.

I have also realized that I could have summed up my previous post with a paragraph. Which is what I will attempt to do now. I realize that what God has been dealing with me about, is that this year I am to prioritize ME. What do I mean? Well, in my finances, what’s my priority? The Kingdom, or Darren? In my time, Kingdom issues or Darren issues?

You see, I’ve realized that when you boil it all down, those are the two defining factors of our life. If you want to know where someone’s priorities are, look at how they spend their finances and time. We only have so much money and so much time. Certainly there are constraints upon both. The question is, where are our priorities for both? For example; if you work 50 hours a week, what do you do with your off time? I realize there are only 24 hours a day and between work and needed sleep there is very little left. But what about days off? Again, there are some things that have to be done to take care of personal business. What about the other time?

It’s the same with finances. In my case, I have finally gotten to the place where I have only my house and a student loan as far as debt is concerned. Then of course there are “living” expenses. Utilities, etc. type of bills. What about what’s left over? What’s my priority? Frankly, if I had done a better job of prioritizing my finances in the past, I wouldn’t have the debt to hold me back.

Here’s my 2010 financial priority: pay off student loan, trim all “expenses” to necessary only, rebuild emergency fund, give to Kingdom. Notice that the Kingdom giving is the last of the list. My goal is to turn that around by 2011. I want to be in a financial position that allows me to give to the Kingdom as my primary priority. In other words, pay off my Student Loan and be debt free but the house. Once that is accomplished, never go into debt again. From a debt free position, think of what I can give to the Kingdom.

I pray that all Christians would get that conviction. To live debt free. The borrower is servant to the lender. Biblical and practical fact. Imagine what the Church could accomplish if only half of us were debt free and willing to be conduits for God to use as a method of blessing others. I challenge you, ask God to show you how to live debt free. (Then get ahold of Dave Ramsey)

It will be interesting to see what my time priorities will be now that I am responsible for someone else. One thing I know, with God’s help I can work out a schedule that allows prayer, Bible study and teaching time. It will not always be easy, but to beat a dead horse, what’s my priority?

So much for summing it all up in a paragraph huh? The point I’m so ineptly driving home is this; time is short and Jesus is coming back soon. It’s time to get our priorities right. When 2010 draws to a close and 2011 is on our doorstep, what will you have accomplished for the Kingdom in 2010? That’s what’s going to really matter. Not whether you spent an extra hour browsing online or bought that “thing” you just had to have that you’ve already forgotten about. What have you done that pleases Jesus? That’s the real question to answer at the end of this year. With the help of the Lord, I want to be able to answer that with my head up December 31, 2010.