The Dangers of Secondary Priorites
Christmas holiday every year is a dangerous time for me, at least dangerous for my waistline. This year I set out to try to avoid the five plus pounds that I put on every Christmas, indulging in all the wonderful desserts that inevitably show up at the table. This was my goal. However in the background of this well-intentioned primary goal were several hidden secondary goals. It might be important for you to know at this point in the story that one of our family traditions during the Christmas holiday is to make homemade doughnuts. These are not just any doughnuts. These are extraordinary doughnuts… to die for… stuff yourself until you can't stand up… potato doughnuts. Now would be a good time to remind you of my primary goal during the Christmas season… to not gain extra weight!
As it turns out, these doughnuts come from my side of the family, my mom's recipe, and I am the primary maker of these doughnuts. I love the creation process, but I must admit I love the results more. It is quite common, after a day long creation process, for the family to join in the final steps of the process and, of course, to enjoy the hot, soft, sweet creations. It is also quite common for the entire family to have a massive carbohydrate hangover for the next several hours. Picture us laying around unable to move. This year we did this marvelous family tradition twice over the holidays. Are you beginning to see the problem? Primary goal… maintain or lose weight. Secondary (hidden) goal… enjoy family time and stuff my face with as many doughnuts as possible.
It’s interesting to me how secondary (and often hidden) goals can quickly overwhelm commitments to primary goals. Sometimes this is obvious like my excessive doughnut consumption but often this exchange of priorities is more hidden in the realities of life. In our churches we often state a public alignment with the priorities of Jesus in our community but, over time, and often quietly, we end up surrendering our stated priorities to secondary priorities like our own comfort or a desire to mitigate our personal fears and anxieties.
The primary goal of Jesus in our communities is quite clear… to constantly provide opportunities for men, women, and children to encounter the glory and grace of the Gospel. How is that going in your life and ministry? If it’s not going well… what are the secondary, and perhaps unspoken, priorities that are actually driving the activity of your church (and life)? A deeply honest look at these questions might be the beginning of what God wants to do in your life and leadership in 2025. Are you up for the adventure?
Asking the hard questions with you,
Dan
Dan Scarrow
District Superintendent