Setting Priorities and Being Productive in Ministry

In his book The Preacher: His Life and Work, John Henry Jowett wrote: “I am profoundly convinced that one of the gravest perils which besets the ministry of this country is a restless scattering of energies over an amazing multiplicity of interests, which leaves no margin of time or of strength for receptive and absorbing communion with God… We must, therefore, hold firmly and steadily to this primary principle, that of all things that need doing, this need is supreme, to live in intimate fellowship with God.”

I'm surprised. Yesterday my director gave me feedback that I need to be more focused in my work, instead of jumping from one thing to another. (Thank God he said that I'm hard-working though.)

And then my team leader observed me working a lot, but being very inefficient. So he gave me feedback and advice on how to be more effective.

Pondering on the two separate pieces of feedback, I then happened upon this article: "Setting Priorities and Being Productive in Ministry".

And I also reflected on my own lifestyle. It's really distracted. Jumping around from task to task like a badly-written program chock-full of GOTO statements.

I think God may be speaking clearly and loudly to me here that if I want to do great things for Him, I have to first do the small things effectively for Him. And that requires concentration and focus.

Wow. Thank God. Praise God for His answering my prayer (and Tracy's prayer for me too) today - that I may grow in becoming more focused in whatever I do for the Lord, be it work or ministry.

As it stands right now, I'm still very far off from being an effective instrument for Him. I want to be totally His instrument, an instrument for noble purposes. The Lord indeed is faithful to all His promises, and loving towards all that He has made. Amen!