Priorities

There are so many things in life that can and do draw our attention.  The world of entertainment seems to be moving more and more towards more noise, more color, more excitement.  It is very easy to lose perspective as we go through our week, and I've often found myself beginning to lose sight of the things that are really important. 

I'm sure that I'm not alone in this dilemma, because I've seen a lot of people who aren't sure what path they should take in life, and even for those who are, it can be difficult to remain focused on the end goal.  This last Sunday in church, we had some wonderful talks on priorities that really got me thinking. One of the speakers spoke of making sure that we fill our time with the important things first, before our time is consumed with the little, unnecessary things that fight for our attention.

I was thinking about that, and realized that accomplishing that task is a lot easier said than done.  Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve gave a talk in October 2007 called "Good, Better, Best", and he talked a lot about how we can prioritize our lives and focus on things that really matter. (Click here to read the full talk)  In this talk, he says, "As we consider various choices, we should remember that it is not enough that something is good. Other choices are better, and still others are best. Even though a particular choice is more costly, its far greater value may make it the best choice of all."

So what things are of the greatest value in life?  I think that a good indicator is whether or not an activity brings us closer to God and to those around us.  Obviously not everything that we do in life has to have God at the very forefront, but I think that we need to remember Him in all that we do, and especially if something draws us away from Him, we may need to reconsider our options.  I've found in my own life that setting time apart to just focus on studying and learning more about my Father in Heaven and His plan for me has helped me to set things in order a lot better.  There are lots of little things that I don't need to worry about so much, but things like consistent scripture study and prayer, I feel those are very vital every single day.

I'm certainly not perfect at having my priorities all in the right order, but I am working at it.  As I've tried to make God a bigger part of my life, and focused more of what I do to bring myself closer to Him, things have always worked out for me.  They're not always easy and carefree, but they have always worked out.

What will you do to prioritize your life?