I do this pretty often on a more superficial level but I find it necessary to take time and look at the things that make up the pillars of my life:
- Relationship with God
- Relationships with people
- Family
- Health, fitness and well-being
- My job/ministry
- Hobbies and passions
- Finances
- Personal Development
Once upon a while ago I would sit down to categorize or prioritize all of these areas, from highest to lowest, and then come up with a game plan for my life.
Obviously, a relationship with God was always number 1 on my list. Then family, and then the rest of them were constantly shifting in their ranking of priority, which happens and is fine. After each evaluation/re-prioritising session things would happen in their right order for a little while.
But honestly my job and relationships with people came to the top more often than not, and when your job is ministry it's easy to make up reasons as to why that's ok.
One day while listening to a podcast, I had a revelation which has changed my mindset, and simplified my way of living. See, my problem wasn't that I didn't have my priority list straight. My problem was that God shouldn't have been on the list at all...
Let me explain: Our relationship with God shouldn't be on the same level as all the other things we must accomplish during our day - He shouldn't be stationed next to a small box that we can tick off right above "do laundry". He should be our only priority. When God is first, I don't need to worry about getting the rest in the right order, for all things will flow from my intimacy with Him. We become like who ever we hang out with.
The fruits of the Spirit are a bi-product or proof, if you will, of a relationship with the Holy Spirit. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, goodness, and self-control - all these things are essential to living a well rounded, effective and successful life. When you spend time with Jesus, you begin to look like Him, and that overflows into every single area of our lives and relationships bringing us to a higher standard!
Now, if I begin to slack in other areas of my life, I don't look to see if I have them in the right place on my priority list. I look at how I have been prioritizing my relationship with my Papa, and when that's not absolutely first and foremost, I can be sure that all other areas of my life will be suffering loss as well. When God is first, all the 2nd's fall into place.
This has simplified my life and evaluation process! So I encourage you, keep first things first!
G O D F I R S T, A L L T H I N G S S E C O N D.