Prioritizing Life

Dear Victorious,

I have never been diagnosed with ADD (attention deficit disorder), but I seem to constantly be challenged by distractions and never able to accomplish what I need to accomplish. Is it possible that this could be a problem with spiritual roots?

Reggie A. - Hartford, CT

Dear Reggie,

Of course it could have spiritual roots. There are two places to look for them.

First, are you truly seeking God's will for your life on a day-to-day basis? Are you looking for God's will and then trying to follow it as you make plans, make decisions and respond to opportunities? (If you are, then you're not responsible for the results - only your obedience.)

Second, are you conscious of the ongoing battle between the urgent and the important. What's important will always be challenged by what's urgent, what's interesting, etc. So it's a conflict that you have to be intentional about managing. If you aren't conscious of the conflict, or aren't intentionally managing it, then the urgent always wins.

Seek ye first the kingdom of God. Seek Him first. Give Him first priority in all your ways. And then be on the lookout for the urgent and the interesting to try and sidetrack you. (They always will.)