There is a television commercial that depicts a man so
worried about his retirement portfolio that he misses an opportunity to visit
with a stranger who could have brought a multi-million dollar opportunity to
his company (and thus, ironically, more funds for retirement). There are perils
to focusing on the wrong thing. Focus is a finite commodity. We only have so
much energy and focus each day. How do we spend it? Do we need more time, or more
energy, or better priorities?
Years ago, Charles E. Hummel wrote a riveting little booklet
called the “Tyranny of the Urgent.” In it he describes,
We live in constant tension
between the urgent and the important. The problem is that the important task rarely
must be done today or even this week. .
. . But the urgent tasks call for instant action---endless demands pressure
every hour and day.
A man's home is no longer his
castle; it is no longer a place away from urgent tasks because the telephone
breaches the walls with imperious demands. The momentary appeal of these tasks
seems irresistible and important, and they devour our energy. But in the light
of time's perspective their deceptive prominence fades; with a sense of loss we
recall the important task pushed aside. We realize we've become slaves to the
tyranny of the urgent. [1]
In 2014, after decades of hustle and bustle, it is
reasonable to ask if we know the difference between “urgent” things and
“important” things. Let’s look at some examples that challenge all of us:
Exercise and good nutrition are certainly important things.
Too often they are both sacrificed to the urgency of work deadlines, family
schedules, and (as it follows) lack of energy. After all, nothing “bad” happens
(immediately, anyway) if we don’t work out. On the other hand, life can get
pretty uncomfortable when deadlines and schedules are not kept.
Or maybe we could start by tackling something simpler: being
attentive and present with family and friends is important. Giving another
person one’s undivided attention (when they need it) is very important. Yet, we
have these little devices that ding, and buzz, and ring every few seconds that
(seem) to demand our immediate attention. We are tempted to talk to one another
while looking at our phones.
Quite frankly, with a little thought we could easily divide much
of the important from the urgent in our lives--at least intellectually—by
asking “what matters the most?” For some
things, however, it can be pretty difficult to discern. So, how does a person
separate them? And, how does one re-capture the right priorities? Hummel takes
a cue from the life of Jesus.
What was the secret of Jesus' work? We
find a clue following Mark's account of Jesus' busy day. Mark observes that "...
in the morning, a great while before day, He rose and went out to a lonely
place, and there He prayed" (Mark 1:35). Here is the secret of Jesus' life
and work for God: He prayerfully waited for His Father's
instructions and for the strength to follow them. Jesus had no divinely-drawn blueprint; He discerned
the Father's will day by day in a life of prayer. By this means He warded off
the urgent and accomplished the important. [1]
A great
morning prayer might be simply, “Lord, what really matters today? And, who
really matters today?” James reminds us “If any of you lacks wisdom, let
him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given
him” (James 1:5 ESV).
Learning
what is important in our lives is a big step. Acting on the important versus
the urgent is a bigger step and one of the biggest on-going challenges we all
face. As a fellow struggler I can commend the grace of God and the power of
prayer (when we take advantage of them) to help us.
[1]
Charles E. Hummel, “Tyranny of the Urgent”, [Internet]; as accessed on April 2, 2014 at http://www.navfusion.com/assets/Tyranny%20of%20the%20Urgent%20[Hummel].pdf
