Day 7: Priority and Prioritisation Demystified

Philippians 3: 7-10; Proverbs 4:23

Priority is “the Quality or state of coming before another in time or importance” (Merriam-Webster) and “Something that you think is more important than other things and should be dealt with first” (Oxford)

Prioritisation is “the act of putting tasks, problems, etc. in order of importance, so that you can deal with the most important first;” It is “the treatment of something as being more important than other things” (Oxford)

When I received the message to develop a discussion on this topic, I read it but promised to look at it later. My position then was not based on my value for the sender or the content of the message (the Sender and the Selah Series are both beloved and rank very high in my family) but rather on the time it came and the pressing timelines at hand. I decided I could attend to it at a later time. This personal experience brings home this discussion. Not acting upon the message immediately and dealing with it later was my prioritisation, and ensuing engagements conveyed my timelines and priorities to the sender.

Human actions and inactions can, at best, be predictive. Usually, we make plans/missions based on our purpose/visions. Regardless of these visions and the plans for actualisations, our attainments are assessed (judged) by our actions. Each action now results from our decisions at the point of acting, and these decisions reflect the many considerations we have when they were made. I want us to note the “buzz” words and consider what each leads to each time we encounter them. Therefore, we are judged by who and what is the priority at the point of our actions, not by our plan or vision, while prioritisation, on the other hand, determines how we arrive at each action.

Priorities are very dynamic as considerations change, but prioritisation is the gatehouse. Emotions such as happiness, love, joy, anger, pride, hunger, sexual desires, etc. can affect our priorities. Social management theories tell us that our social circle can also affect our priorities through the emotions they stir up in us. We often set our hearts to do something but fail to act or moderate our plans or even do something else in the face of some considerations.

Proverbs 4: 23 says, “Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life (NLT). Our hearts are bombarded with many things to consider, and we must be predetermined on who and what comes first at the point of our actions; otherwise, we will act wrongly.

Pastor Oluwamayowa Popoola

Priority and prioritisation apply to every phase of family life. How do you know it’s time to marry? Who to marry? How to marry? Wedding budget? Who and what do you conform to? What your hearts are set on? In the face of global economic hardship, astute financial prioritisation can save many from trouble. Against the satanic onslaughts on the marital institution, effective prioritisation can save homes. And as the enemy wages war against the Christian faith, our priorities are called into question daily. What are your priorities? It’s important to note that ministers are enjoined to prioritise their families above ministry - raise your family before raising congregants.

© Selah Series 2024