01 Feb What’s Most Important

In this workshop, you will learn about keeping first things first so you can be focused, successful, and not distracted by energy drainers.

If we review what the Bible has to say about what is most important to God and in life, we’d most likely remind ourselves of what Jesus said in response to this question posed to him in the Gospel of Matthew:

“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” ( New International Version, 1978/2011, Matthew 22:36–40)

These verses are clear about what Jesus thought was central to life and of the highest priority: love of God and loving others as we love ourselves. We really can’t have one without the other. We must demonstrate our love of God by loving others. And it is challenging to love others in a healthy, helpful way if we don’t have a love for ourselves and for God.

In this devotion and course, you will continue to explore key lessons from these verses and other biblical references regarding priorities in your own life and as life coaches.

Upon successful completion of this discussion, you will be able to:

· Share your thoughts on biblical principles related to life priorities.

· Identify ways in which practicing biblical principles can serve others in your role as a life coach.

Background Information

Identifying, focusing on, and living by top priorities in life is essential to experiencing success personally and for helping others as a life coach. As with many biblical living principles, positive psychology and popular leadership principles reinforce this truth. Another one of the key habits that Stephen Covey discovered and wrote about in his book 7 Habits of Highly Effective People is what he referred to as “First Things First.”

Covey and others have explained this concept of prioritization and putting first things first with a visual illustration. Imagine that a large, empty glass container, a bowl of sand, and several large rocks sit on a table. Your challenge is to fit all the rocks and sand into the container. If you put the sand (which symbolizes minor or small priorities or distractions in life) in the container (your limited amount of time in life) first, the large rocks (or major life priorities) won’t fit. But, if you place the rocks in the glass container first (put first things or the most important things first in your life), then the sand will fall in around the rocks; everything is balanced and fits more naturally into your life.

This is the hope, adventure, and goal in our personal lives and as coaches—to find a healthy balance in life built on a solid foundation of love of God, self, and others.

Instructions

1. Navigate to the discussion topic and respond to the following prompts:

a. Review Matthew 22:36–40 and describe which of the three “loves” (God, self, or others) is most challenging for you to experience and practice in your life.

b. Share your thoughts on what might need to be prioritized differently in your life.

c. How can you help others, in your role as a helper and life coach, to review their lives based on these verses in Matthew?

2. Your postings should also:

a. Be well developed by providing clear answers with evidence of critical thinking.

b. Add greater depth to the discussion by introducing new ideas.