PRIORITIES

Genesis chapter 1




Today we are walking in: Priorities






Today we look to the word-LEADER- H5057 nagiyd-- leader, ruler, captain, prince; excellent thing, (chief) governor, leader, noble, prince, (chief) ruler.



The Torah Testifies.............................

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The prophets proclaim...............



Isaiah 55:4 - Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader H5057 and commander to the people.








The writings bear witness.............



2Chronicles 32:21 - And the LORD sent an angel, which cut off all the mighty men of valour, and the leaders H5057 and captains in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he returned with shame of face to his own land. And when he was come into the house of his god, they that came forth of his own bowels slew him there with the sword








CHAPTER TWELVE
Attitude #3 Priorities


Attitude is evidence of what you think.


All true leaders are distinguished by their strong sense of priorities. They are always clear about what is important to them and desire to attend to the principal issue at hand.


The most important thing in life and leadership is to know what you are supposed to do. Any activities that we undertake consume our time, talents, effort, energy, and life. What we do, therefore, determines who we are and what we become. True leaders have a clear sense of what they need to do. The key to this ability is applying the principle of priority.


WHAT IS PRIORITY?


Let’s begin by defining priority. It is—


• something that has a prior claim on us.
• something that merits our primary attention.
• something that receives our primary resources.
• something that has a right to supersede other things.


LEADERSHIP AND PRIORITIES


Effective leadership involves the management of one’s priorities. True leaders have learned how to distinguish between what is truly important for their lives and the fulfillment of their purposes and what is an urgent but temporary need. They have also discovered how to distinguish between options that are good and ones that are best for them. Because of these things, they have narrow agendas and short to-do lists.


HOW TO CHOOSE PRIORITIES


How do we determine what is really important in our lives? We find a valuable guideline in a statement by Paul in his first letter to the Corinthians: “‘Everything is permissible for me’—but not everything is beneficial. ‘Everything is permissible for me’—but I will not be mastered by anything.”


WHAT WE DO DETERMINES WHO WE ARE AND WHAT WE BECOME.


We live in an age when, particularly in the United States and the European Union, people have a myriad of choices in regard to their lifestyles, careers, and leisure time. We can do many things, but not everything is constructive to our lives. One of our major responsibilities as leaders is determining what is best for us according to our life’s purpose and vision.


Paul knew about being single-minded in the pursuit of a purpose. In his letter to the Philippians, he wrote,


Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Hamachiach Yahusha took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which Yah has called me heavenward in Hamachiach Yahusha.


EVALUATE YOUR CURRENT PRIORITIES


What purposes do you need to “take hold of ”—personally, professionally, and spiritually? How do your current priorities line up with them? Take time this week to think through your present priorities. Perhaps you haven’t really established any priorities and are living in crisis mode: Whatever seems most pressing at the time gets your attention. Are you aware of your purpose and actively working toward it? Before setting your goals, as outlined in the following teaching, make sure that you discover your purpose and decide how to align your life and your priorities so that you will be able to fulfill your particular leadership mandate in the domain that you have been given.


THE ART OF PRIORITY IS DISTINGUISHING BETWEEN THE IMPORTANT AND THE URGENT.


To become the leader that you were created to be, you must cultivate the art of priority—choosing and distinguishing between what is important versus what is urgent. Leadership means knowing the difference between busyness and effectiveness. True leaders make a distinction between an opportunity and a distraction, and between what is good and what is right for them. Leaders know that priorities protect their valuable energy, time, resources, and talent.