Of the 24 hours - the 1,440 minutes - available to us each day, parents actually spend very little time with their children. Remember, all we have is right now. So, how about you? What does how you spend your time say about your priorities? Do you need a little help getting your priorities straight? Here are five ways you can reprioritize your life:
1. Ruthlessly Eliminate Stress. No one can get their priorities straight if they're constantly living "under the gun." If there's so much stress in your life that you're finding it difficult to keep your priorities in order, lighten your load first - and now!
2. Make Daily Solitude a Priority. Don't let guilt make you feel like you're "avoiding your family" for taking time for yourself each day. It's a must, even if it's just 15 minutes in the morning for "quiet time" with the Lord. No one will miss you if you "take 5" for yourself every now and then.
3. Develop a "Blank Slate" Approach. Begin and end each day with no agenda. Come before the Lord with open arms, hands, and an open mind and heart each morning. Let Him set your day in motion and then give everything back to Him at the end of each day - all your worries, cares, successes, failures. Exchange them for a good night's sleep. (See Psalm 91:1.)
4. Give Your Family Your Best, Not Just Your "Emotional Leftovers." It may be noble to "give your all" at work. But what does that leave for your spouse and kids? Not much? Not good! Your family deserves the best you have to offer. They need you healthy, rested, happy, or perhaps more importantly, content. Don't just leave "table scraps" from your heart for them. Give them the main course. Then, watch how your priorities change by themselves!
5. Don't Wait. This is your life and these should be your priorities. If you're waiting for someone else to come alongside you and tell you how to live your life, you're in for a long wait. The time to make the changes is now—so get to it!
Reprioritizing your life doesn't have to be difficult. But, if you're like most of us, it does need to be done every now and then. And, with God's help, you can do it!
