Recently, I was asked to give advice to young people by looking back on my own experience—things I am thankful I was counseled to do, and other things I wish I had been admonished to do differently. This is some of the advice I wish I had received, and I pray it encourages your heart too—no matter what phase of life you find yourself in.
SET PRIORITIES
For those of us who graduated high school without a confidently narrowed plan for life after college, keeping every door open was often the name of the game—taking on one more class, one more activity or one more commitment. But by always saying yes and always looking for more, it is easy to lose sight of the priorities we hope will define our lives.
While there is something to be said for being open to spontaneity and exploring uncharted territories—as some of my best experiences came about by taking up unexpected opportunities—not until my mid-20s did I accept the reality that every “yes” I say is a no to something else.
Sometimes, that’s not a bad thing. For example, saying no to Netflix in order to say yes to a new organization, ministry or act of service is surely the right trade to make. But each yes or no is much more likely to be the right decision if made within a pre-established framework of priorities. What are our highest, most ultimate goals in life? What do we want to be known for? What are the few things we want to do really well? And then, most challenging of all, does our schedule reflect our answers?
No two people’s priorities are exactly the same. Even no two Christians’ priorities are the same. But for those who follow Jesus, all priorities are to align within the ultimate two Jesus set for us—the two that encompass the entire sum of God’s commands: to love Him with all our heart, soul, mind and strength, and to love our neighbor as ourselves. We will never regret a decision that enables us to love Him more deeply. We will never regret the aim to love people more sacrificially. And we will never regret choosing the right things and doing the right things well.
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