Edwards’ 27th resolution was…

Resolved, Never willfully to omit any thing, except the omission be for the glory of God; and frequently to examine my omissions

I’ve heard time and time again that all of us should have not only a to-do list, but also a not-to-do list. All of us have to recognize that we have tons of opportunities thrown at us everyday and we can’t say yes to everything. Our responsibility is to be able to recognize the things and opportunities that we should say “yes” to and then to discard the rest. There is no getting around the fact that we all have a limited amount of time to work with and we will be held accountable someday for how we used it. It’s not just about the things we avoid but also the things we embrace.

When I read this resolution from Edwards, I see it as being a matter of prioritization. Edwards had to carefully choose what not to do and what to do. How do you go about this process? How do you decide what gets your attention and what does not? Our priorities are the things that really define who we are as people and who we’re not. As we look at our bank accounts and our schedules, it’s not difficult to find out what we’re living for.

I would encourage all of us to carefully look at how we are currently spending our time and money. Do our choices in these areas reflect what we say we’re about? If not, what are we going to do about it?