Change “Principle and Priority”
Jan 07, 2016
Change“Principle and Priority”
Practical Steps to ChangePractical Steps to Change
• 2 Peter 1:3-4 (NIV) His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
Importance of PrincipleImportance of Principle
• Ruth 1:1-5 In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land, and a man from Bethlehem in Judah, together with his wife and two sons, went to live for a while in the country of Moab. The man's name was Elimelech, his wife's name Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Kilion.
House of Bread
God is King
Jeremiah 48:1 (TLB) This is the message of the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel, against Moab: "Woe to the city of Nebo, for it shall lie in ruins…its forts are overwhelmed and captured.
The ConsequencesThe Consequences• Ruth 1:3-5 (NIV)
3 Now Elimelech, Naomi's husband, died, and she was left with her two sons. 4 They married Moabite women, one named Orpah and the other Ruth. After they had lived there about ten years, 5 both Mahlon and Kilion also died, and Naomi was left without her two sons and her husband.
What could have been…What could have been…• Psalm 33:18-19 But the eyes of the Lord are on
those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love, to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine.
• Psalm 37:18-19 The days of the blameless are known to the Lord, and their inheritance will endure forever. In times of disaster they will not wither; in days of famine they will enjoy plenty.
Principle based decisionsPrinciple based decisions• Do not make reactionary decisions!• Do not make decisions based on convenience!• Do not make decisions based only on your logic!• Do remember what the Word of God says about
the situation!• Do remember the promises of God in your life!• Do make decisions and take steps based on faith
on the Word of God!
• Jeremiah 17:5 • This is what the Lord says: "Cursed is the one
who trusts in man who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the Lord.
Principle, not consequence!Principle, not consequence!• 2 Kings 6:4-7 They went to the Jordan and began to
cut down trees. As one of them was cutting down a tree, the iron axhead fell into the water. "Oh, my lord," he cried out, "it was borrowed!" The man of God asked, "Where did it fall?" When he showed him the place, Elisha cut a stick and threw it there, and made the iron float. "Lift it out," he said. Then the man reached out his hand and took it.
The ProblemPanic from
consequence Identify the root of the problem!
Miracle happens!
Keep growing!Keep growing!• Develop Creativity:• God makes us creative:• Genesis 1:26 Then God said, "Let us make man
in our image, in our likeness…”• Ephes. 5:1 Be imitators of God, therefore, as
dearly loved children • John 10:10 I have come that they may have life,
and have it to the full.
Keep growing!Keep growing! Develop Creativity: Learn to be a better listener
“Not to be fortified with good ideas is to be victimized by bad ones” – Carl Henry
Read from other industries Change your routine
“When I look at the same old things, I think the same old thoughts, but when the furniture is changed, my thinking changed…routine is the enemy of creative thinking” Stanley Marcus
Change your old assumptions
Importance of PriorityImportance of Priority
God is a God of Order The whole creation is in order
There is a sequence in creation
Proverbs 28:2 …..a man of understanding
and knowledge maintains order.
Jesus exemplifies the importance Jesus exemplifies the importance of prioritizing:of prioritizing:
• In commitment:• Luke 14:26 • "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his
father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters--yes, even his own life--he cannot be my disciple.
Jesus exemplifies the importance Jesus exemplifies the importance of prioritizing:of prioritizing:
• In relationships:• Matthew 12:46-50 While Jesus was still talking to the crowd,
his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him. Someone told him, "Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you." He replied to him, "Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?" Pointing to his disciples, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother."
Jesus exemplifies the importance Jesus exemplifies the importance of prioritizing:of prioritizing:
• In material things:• Matthew 6:19-21 "Do not store up for yourselves
treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. [20] But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. [21] For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Jesus exemplifies the importance Jesus exemplifies the importance of prioritizing:of prioritizing:
• In lifestyle:• Matthew 6:24 "No one can serve two masters. Either he
will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.
• Matthew 6:33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
Importance of PriorityImportance of Priority• Haggai 1:3-6 (NKJV) 3 Then the word of the Lord came
by Haggai the prophet, saying, 4 "Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, and this temple to lie in ruins?“ 5 Now therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: "Consider your ways! 6 "You have sown much, and bring in little; You eat, but do not have enough; You drink, but you are not filled with drink; You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; And he who earns wages, Earns wages to put into a bag with holes."
Importance of PriorityImportance of Priority• 9 "You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little.
What you brought home, I blew away. Why?" declares the LORD Almighty. "Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with his own house. 10 Therefore, because of you the heavens have withheld their dew and the earth its crops.
Importance of PriorityImportance of Priority• Understand that activity is not necessarily
accomplishment• Efficient is doing things right• Effective is doing the right things (Peter Drucker)• Efficiency is the foundation of survival• Effectiveness is the foundation of success (Maxwell)• To increase effectiveness, we need to learn how to
prioritize
Learning to Prioritize
Leaders Followers
Initiate React
Lead; p/u phone, make contact
Listen; wait for phone to ring
Spend time planning
Spend time living day-to-day
Anticipate problems
React to problems
Invest time with people
Spend time with people
Fill calendar w/ priorities
Fill calendar by requests
Learning to Prioritize The “3 R” principle: (Maxwell)
1. What’s required of me? A leader can give up anything
except final responsibility Ask: ”What do I have to do
that no one but me can do?” Put these high on your priority
2. What gives me the highest return? Ask: “Am I doing what I do
best and receiving a good return for the organization?
Learning to Prioritize 3 common problems in organizations: Abuse: too few employees are doing
too much Disuse: too many employees are
doing too little Misuse: too many employees are
doing the wrong things 3. What is most rewarding?
Our best work takes place when we enjoy it.
Find something you like to do so much that you’re willing to do it for nothing; then do it so well that people will be happy to pay you for it.
Success is greatly increased if the 3 R’s are similar!
Learning to Prioritize Organizing Priorities
High Importance/High Urgency: Tackle these projects first
High Importance/Low Urgency: Set deadlines for completion and get
these projects worked into your daily routine
Low Importance/High Urgency: Find quick, efficient ways to get these
done with minimal personal involvement.
Low Importance/Low Urgency: This is busy or repetitious task like
filing. Stack it up and do it in half hour segments every week. Get somebody else to do it, or don’t do it at all.
Priority Pitfalls Staying put too long:
Priority continually shifts and demand attention
“Anything excellent stands moment by moment on the cutting edge and must be continually fought for (Ross Perot)
Evaluate: every month review the 3 R
Eliminate: anything that doesn’t pass the 3 R test
Estimate: what are my top projects this month and how long will they take?
Priority Pitfalls Settling for the good
instead of the best: Go back to the 3 R and ask
again: What is most aligned with
the organization’s purpose? What benefits the people
you serve the most? What is the preference of
your leader?
Priority Pitfalls Trying to have it all:
“95% of achieving anything is knowing what you want”
Too many priorities paralyze us: (lion tamer’s technique)
Failure to prioritize and eliminate small priorities will create big problems
No deadlines, no crisis: If you have one letter to
write, it’ll take you all day to do it. If you have twenty letters to write, you’ll get them done in a day (Parkinson)
Prioritizing The importance of prioritizing:
God is a God of order Jesus exemplifies prioritizing
Learning to prioritize 3 R principle:
What’s required of me? What gives me the highest return? What is most rewarding?
Priority pitfalls: Staying put too long Good vs. best Trying to have it all No deadlines