Joy In The Journey Radio
  • Home
  • Radio 4 LDS Singles
    • Live Broadcast
    • Recent Shows >
      • 14 Dec 22
      • 7 Dec 22
    • Archive 2022
    • Archive 2021
    • Archive 2020
    • Archive 2019
    • Archive 2018
  • LDS Singles Blog
  • Books
  • FAQ
  • Volunteer
  • Donate
  • Contact

continue the conversation

Now is the time

1/9/2019

0 Comments

 
Whether or not you have goals for the new year, now is the time to consider whether the priorities you really do have are the ones you really should have.
With the new year now underway, the opportunity to make our resolutions reality is bursting with promise.  Anything we can imagine really is possible.  Though some have given up on those resolutions and in the process given up on themselves, many of us are still trying.

If you’re one of those who’s still trying, you need to ask yourself this question: Do you have the right priorities?  Priorities determine direction, and direction determines destination.
In the most recent General Conference, Elder Jack Gerard of the Seventy spoke of the importance of priorities in life.  His remarks, entitled “Now Is The Time,” encourage all of us to place our priorities upon what matters most in life — our relationship with our Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ.  Whether or not you have goals for the new year, now is the time to consider whether the priorities you really do have are the ones you really should have.

Set the right priorities

Picture
Elder Gerard begins with an account of chest pains he experienced while traveling.  After arriving at the airport, he sought help at a local hospital, wondering if he would reach his final destination.  A doctor ran multiple tests and then declared him safe to continue his travels.

Elder Gerard returned to the airport and resumed his journey.  As the plane approached his final destination, Elder Gerard learned an ambulance would be waiting to take him to the hospital.  The doctor had misdiagnosed his condition, which was much more serious than previously supposed.

After he learned the new diagnosis and that not many patients survive that condition, Elder Gerard’s perspective suddenly shifted.  He described his experience with these words:


I remember well how almost instantaneously in that anxious moment, my entire perspective changed. What seemed so important just moments earlier was now of little interest. My mind raced away from the comfort and cares of this life to an eternal perspective?—thoughts of family, children, my wife, and ultimately an assessment of my own life.

How were we doing as a family and individually? Were we living our lives consistent with the covenants we had made and the Lord’s expectations, or had we perhaps unintentionally allowed the cares of the world to distract us from those things which matter most?

I would invite you to consider an important lesson learned from this experience: to step back from the world and assess your life. Or in the words of the doctor, if there is anything in your life you need to consider, now is the time.
Indeed, now is the time to consider our direction.  Stephen Covey often used the analogy of a ladder when speaking about priorities.  He described a man who exerted much effort to climb a ladder leaning against a wall.  When he got to the top, what he saw behind the wall made one truth painfully obvious; his ladder was leaning against the wrong wall.

It should sound silly to talk about priorities after many of us have made our goals, because priorities rightfully come before goals.  We need to establish our direction before we establish what we want to accomplish.  Otherwise, we’ll likely find the ladder we climb has been leaning against the wrong wall.

Be intentional

Picture
Daily life in our modern world contains so many distractions we can spend our lives wandering aimlessly without any sense of direction or purpose.  We need to take time to reflect upon our direction.  Unless we do, we’ll easily become “like a wave of the sea, driven with the wind and tossed” (James 1:6).

Do the things of greatest eternal importance have the highest priority in your life?  If not, it’s never too late to start again.  Now is the time to consider your direction.

Elder Gerard reminds us that


The Savior cautioned us to “take heed … lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with … cares of this life” (Luke 21:34). Modern revelation reminds us that many are called, but few are chosen. They are not chosen “because their hearts are set … upon the things of this world, and aspire to the honors of men” (D&C 121:35; see also verse 34). Assessing our lives gives us an opportunity to step back from the world, reflect on where we stand on the covenant path, and, if necessary, make adjustments to ensure a firm grip and a forward gaze.
It’s so easy to coast and let the waves of day-to-day living just wash over us!  But that complacency will never deliver your best life.  You get your best life by living intentionally, and living with intention requires awareness of what you’re doing and more importantly why.  That means having priorities and a plan of action that supports those priorities.

How else do we ensure our ladder is not leaning against the wrong wall?  Priorities determine direction, and direction determines destination.

Rise above distraction

Picture
During his remarks, Elder Gerard asked this very practical question: “How do we rise above the distractions of this world and stay fixed on the vision of eternity before us?”  He then extolled Christ as the standard by which to judge what’s best and declared “understanding our divine origins is essential to our eternal progress and can free us from the distractions of this life.”

Ultimately, the best way to know what our real priorities should be is to evaluate ourselves and our lives without distraction.  That’s where temple attendance can be so refreshing.  In the house of the Lord, we can separate ourselves from the distractions of the world.  Remembering our divine origins and why we’re here can bring clarity to an otherwise muddled view.

If you wonder whether your ladder is leaning against the wrong wall, now is the time to consider what changes you need to make.  If you didn’t make any goals for the new year, then by default you decided to let the waves of life carry you where they may.  Now is the time for you to own your life and establish the priorities that will determine your direction and ultimately your destination.  When you do, you’ll find yourself moving forward more confidently.  And that will bring you more joy in your journey.

You can listen to the monologue from today's episode of Joy In The Journey Radio here.  Please also feel free to continue the conversation by leaving a comment below.  Want to hear more?  Listen to the whole show by going to the show page for this episode!
Picture
0 Comments
    Picture

    Author

    Howdy! I'm Lance, host of Joy in the Journey Radio. I've been blogging about LDS singles life since 2012, and since 2018 I've been producing a weekly Internet radio show and podcast to help LDS singles have  more joy in their journey and bring all Latter-day Saints together. Let's engage a conversation that will increase the faith of LDS singles and bring singles and marrieds together in a true unity of the faith.

    Comment

    Joy in the Journey Radio encourages the free discussion of ideas but reserves the right to remove and/or block comments which do not conform to LDS standards.

    Donate

    Joy in the Journey Radio offers many free resources to help LDS singles everywhere, but it certainly isn't free!  Help Joy in the Journey Radio in its mission to improve the lives of LDS singles by donating today.

    Posts by Month

    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014

    Categories

    All
    Adrian Ochoa
    Agency
    Assumptions
    Atonement
    Attitude
    Attraction
    Autopilot
    Balance
    Becky Craven
    Believe
    Best Life
    Bradley R Wilcox
    Camille N Johnson
    Change The Culture
    Changing LDS Singles Culture
    Christ
    Christmas
    Clark G Gilbert
    Confidence
    Conscious Choices
    Covenant Mindset
    Dale G Renlund
    Dallin H Oaks
    Dating
    David A Bednar
    Depression
    Dieter F Uchtdorf
    Discipleship
    Donald L Hallstrom
    D Todd Christofferson
    Face To Face
    Faith
    Family
    Family History
    Fear
    Filters
    Finances
    Focus Determines Reality
    Forgiveness
    Full Life: Body
    Full Life: Heart
    Full Life: Mind
    Full Life: Spirit
    Future
    Gary E Stevenson
    General Conference
    Gerrit W Gong
    Goals
    Gordon B Hinckley
    Gratitude
    Habits
    Happiness
    Hope
    Jack Gerard
    Jean Bingham
    Jeffrey R Holland
    John A McCune
    John C Pingree Jr
    Journey
    Joy
    Kristin M Lee
    Leaders
    Legacy
    Life Of Meaning
    Live In The Moment
    Marriage
    Marrieds
    Michael A Dunn
    Michelle Craig
    Miracles
    M Russell Ballard
    Natural Mindset
    Neil Andersen
    Opportunity
    Own Your Life
    Partner With The Lord
    Peace
    Personal Ministry
    Perspective
    Philosophy
    Proclamation On The Family
    Quentin L Cook
    Real
    Reformat And Reboot
    Relationships
    Ronald Rasband
    Russell M Nelson
    Sacrament
    Self Talk
    Self-talk
    Service
    Sharon Eubank
    Stories
    Support
    Surrender To Love
    Susan H Porter
    Taylor G Godoy
    Temple
    Thinking
    Thomas S Monson
    Trials
    Unity
    Valentine's Day
    Vision
    Walk By Faith
    Yoon Hwan Choi
    Zion

    RSS Feed

Offerings

Home
Radio 4 LDS Singles
LDS Singles Blog
Books
Speaking
Recipes
Home-centered Church

Production

About
Staff

Support

FAQ
Volunteer
Donate
Careers
Contact
Joy in the Journey Radio is a production
of Aspire Mountain Media LLC.
© 2014-2024 Aspire Mountain Media LLC.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

  • Home
  • Radio 4 LDS Singles
    • Live Broadcast
    • Recent Shows >
      • 14 Dec 22
      • 7 Dec 22
    • Archive 2022
    • Archive 2021
    • Archive 2020
    • Archive 2019
    • Archive 2018
  • LDS Singles Blog
  • Books
  • FAQ
  • Volunteer
  • Donate
  • Contact