Sometimes I wish I was invisible for a day . . . maybe two. Then maybe I could make some progress on my deadlines. But no matter how hard I try, someone always spots me hiding. Maybe I don’t pick the best locations to blend in.

But when my day begins with a list of good, godly things that I know God has positioned me to do, how do I prioritize?

Although we try our best in a world that drains our resources, what happens when we realize we took a wrong turn? Maneuvering a demanding path and then changing directions as God leads can be a daunting task.

But we should not be easily discouraged. God has placed us on a course that is more wonderful, even during painful times, than our minds can conceive.

There is no doubt, it’s good to be in a position where we are doing what the Lord has called us to do. But if we are not on our guard, Satan can use our busyness with good things to keep us from doing what God has equipped us to do. This is especially true when the tasks Satan uses to keep us busy seem to be fulfilling.

In order for us to follow God’s path, we need a standard—guidelines by which we measure our progress and ensure that we’re on track. The key of course, is prayer.

In the process of being diligent, we can look to what we know:

• Never get too busy to pray
  • It’s an easy thing to do because there is so much that fills our days, and we may get lost while dealing with the urgent.
• Don’t forget to read God’s Word
  • We start thinking that as long as we pray, that’s enough—it isn’t. We need to spend time in prayer, but in order to hear what God is telling us we also need to read His Word.
• Listen when He is telling you something you don’t want to hear
  • When God gives us direction and speaks to our hearts, we may receive an answer we don’t want. Don’t discount it. Embrace it and be thankful that He is speaking to you. You’re on the right track.
• Think from an eternal perspective
  • Randy Alcorn is a remarkable speaker and writer who understands the eternal perspective of thinking. This is outlined in his book, Money, Possessions and Eternity, which helps us to think along the lines of what is important eternally rather than temporally so we can sift out the urgent from the truly important.
• Prioritize appropriately
  • Instead of setting priorities according to what seems the most pressing, focus on what you prayerfully determine is the most important to God. It’s more difficult to head in a wrong direction when we are actively seeking His will.

No matter how determined we are to do the right thing, we may occasionally take a wrong turn at one time or another. If we focus on what God has placed before us, pray about it and read His Word, we are not likely to go down a path of disobedience.

When we find that we have erred in the direction we are going, we can realize our mistake and alter our course. God is not trying to keep us in the dark. He’s trying to keep us in the Light.

Question: Is it easy for you to stay on course, or do decisions get in your way?