"The enemy of the best is always the good." That's what one of my mentors, Dr. Charles Farah, would say. People who are popular will have many others pulling at them. Anyone with multiple responsibilities will daily face the decision to leave something undone.What is the most important decision you will make every day? Is it what suit or outfit to put on? What engagement to say no to? Which calls to return? How to prioritize the many tasks pulling at your limited time? Or is it the decision to spend time with the Lord and pray the first thing in the day?
In my training as a school superintendent, one of the last exercises every new applicant faced was the "in-box" test. The challenge was to take an in-box of 10 items and prioritize them by importance, deciding which you would tackle first that day and which could wait to be addressed later. I learned that invariably, disguised in the 10 items, there was always a safety item that was difficult to identify. A safety item is something related to the safety of students, staff or patrons. Safety items always take priority above every other administrative task. And it is the same in our spiritual lives. The safety item for our relationship with Christ is having time alone with Him each day, preferably at the start of the day, in prayer and the Word.
There is a great contrast in Christ's public and private life. His public life was one filled with great crowds, the power of the Spirit in operation and teaching with authority. His private life was one of solitude, prayer and listening to the Father. How does your private life match up to your public life? Is there symmetry between the two?
My pastor is a man full of the grace and mercy of the Lord.
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