A NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION – FOCUS ON YOUR PRIORITIES

A while back an expert on the subject of time management was speaking to a group of business students. After speaking to them for a while, he said, "Okay, it’s time for a quiz." He set a one-gallon, wide mouthed Mason jar on the table in front of him. Then he produced about a dozen tennis-ball-sized rocks and carefully placed them, one at a time, inside the jar. When the jar was filled to the top and no more rocks would fit inside, he asked, "Is this jar full?"

Everyone in the class said, "Yes."

"Really?" he said. Then he reached under the table and pulled out a bucket of gravel. He dumped some gravel into the jar and shook it , causing pieces of gravel to work themselves down into the spaces between the big rocks. Then he smiled and asked the group once more, "Is the jar full?"

By this time the class was starting to catch on. "Probably not," one of them said.

"Good!" he replied. Then he reached under the table and brought out a bucket of sand. He started dumping the sand in and it filled all the spaces between the rocks and the gravel. Once more he asked, "Is this jar full?"

"No!" the class shouted.

Again he said, "Good!" Then he grabbed a pitcher of water and began to pour in the water until the jar was filled to the brim. Then he looked back at the class and asked, "What is the point of this illustration?"

One eager student raised his hand and said, "The point is, no matter how full your schedule is, if you try really hard, you can always fit something more into it!"

"No," the speaker replied, "that’s not the point. The truth this illustration teaches us is this: If you don’t put the big rocks in first, you’ll never get them in at all."

What are the big rocks in your life? As you look ahead over this year, what are your priorities? Jesus said, "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you" (Matt. 6:33).

As you begin a New Year why not make a resolution to drawing closer to God through worship, spending time with Him in prayer, and seeking His guidance for your life by reading His Word -- these should be the big rocks in your jar.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Article 2

In Defence of Marriage

Genesis 2:18-24