Time - Priorities

I have been thinking a lot lately about time and how I use it.  We are all blessed with the same number of hours and minutes in a day and can choose how we use them.  We have different responsibilities and obligations to meet within that time, but it's really up to us how we prioritize and spend this incredible resource....whether that's working, serving, resting, playing, teaching, giving, learning, progressing, waiting, sitting, thinking, sharing, caring, enduring, loving, laughing.....and the list goes on.  Many things compete for our time, which is why it's important to have goals and plans, so it's not idled away.

There are many lists written about successful people:

• 11 Ways Successful People Start Their Mornings
• 5 Things Successful People Do Before Breakfast
• Top 10 Things Successful People Do to Reach Their Dreams
• How Very Successful People Manage Their Time
• 14 Things Successful People Do On Weekends
• How Successful People Spend Their Evenings

A common theme of success centers around how people use their time, particularly their discretionary time.  I read a great book not long ago that reinforced this point as well - successful people don't have time to watch TV or sit still really - they spend that time learning or helping someone else.  They do sleep, they do plan meaningful leisure activities, they spend time with people building relationships, and they even exercise, but in order to do all of this they seem to have set clear priorities that help them use every minute effectively.

There is SO MUCH good in the world.  I'm amazed (and frankly, sometimes overwhelmed) at all the opportunities to serve and bless and give and learn.  There are so many wonderful, uplifting resources.  You could spend DAYS trying to catch up on all of the wonderful Mormon Channel interviews and videos, Mormon messages, resources for youth and teaching...not to mention the scriptures and words of the living prophets.  And before you can even finish looking at all of those there will be a lot more amazing things to read and learn and watch (and these are just a few things I've noticed lately - I'm sure there are many others).  "If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things (13th Articles of Faith)."  I wonder how we could ever have time for anything else.  :)  And then there are wonderful, uplifting blogs and ideas and opportunities for serving in the community and our neighbors everywhere we turn....and even new scripture mastery scriptures to memorize!  :)

President Spencer W. Kimball once said, "My life is like my shoes--to be worn out in service."

Doctrine & Covenants 123:13, 17 teaches "...we should waste and wear out our lives in bringing to light all the hidden things of darkness, wherein we know them; and they are truly manifest from heaven--These should then be attended to with great earnestness....Therefore, dearly beloved brethren, let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed."

Last week in Relief Society we studied some of President Lorenzo Snow's teachings on this topic.  Here are a few quotes that I loved:

"We have to exert ourselves....Remaining idle without putting ourselves into action is of no use."

"Where the Lord plants us, there we are to stand; when he requires us to exert ourselves for the support of these holy principles, that we are to do; that is all we need to trouble ourselves about; the rest our Heavenly Father will take care of."

"This work in which you and I are engaged can only prosper and be forwarded through the blessings of God upon our faithful and honest exertions and our determination to accomplish the labors for which we have come into this existence.  When we look back upon the experiences through which we have passed, we easily understand that our prosperity has been dependent upon our honest endeavors to accomplish the work of God, to labor in the interest of the people, and to rid ourselves as far as possible of selfishness....we can well believe that our future progress will depend upon our determination to do the will of God under all circumstances and the aid which He shall give us."

Elder Christofferson taught in a 2010 talk entitled, Reflections on a Consecrated Life, that "true success in this life comes in consecrating our lives -- that is our time and choices -- to God's purposes."  He quotes from Man's Search for Happiness:  "Life offers you two precious gifts--one is time, the other freedom of choice, the freedom to buy with your time what you will....Every day, every hour, every minute of your span of mortal years must sometime be accounted for.  And it is in this life that you walk by faith and prove yourself able to choose good over evil, right over wrong, enduring happiness over mere amusement.  And your eternal reward will be according to your choosing."  This is kind of what it's all about!

It's not enough to not be doing bad things....we must be "anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of [our] own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness (D&C 58:27);"  That's who we are and what we should be about!  We can't run faster than we have strength, but the Lord will strengthen us and magnify our efforts as we have a desire to serve Him and use our time to bless others and build His kingdom.  I know He blesses us and helps us as we are willing to do His will.

Being idle is a pretty serious problem and we're commanded to "refrain from idleness (Alma 38:12)" and to "cease to be idle (D&C 88:124)."  We should avoid apathy, laziness, procrastination and slothfulness.  Here are a few other references that teach the importance of being anxiously engaged and choosing the best thing, not just the good and better thing.

I believe that we all have unique talents and opportunities and the responsibility to bless others and do good.  The Lord needs each of us to be the best that we can be and use our time and set our priorities in a way that will help others to know Him.  There is lots to do, but He will bless us as we give our time and talents to Him and His work and His glory.