“First Things First”.
When you hear that, what comes to mind?
In his sermon yesterday, Dr. Terry Carter used an analogy borrowed from Bryan Dyson, a former President and CEO of Coca-Cola Enterprises. In life, our relationships and activities can be put into three categories: Rubber, Metal, and Glass. Picture those categories as balls you’re juggling. They’re all competing for your time, but sometimes you may need to drop one. How do you pick which one to drop?
RUBBER BALLS
When you drop rubber balls, they can quickly bounce back with little to no damage. In this category you have hobbies, colleagues, acquaintances, menial tasks, social media, video games, etc.
Rubber balls are the most comfortable balls to hold. There are often more rubber balls in our life than the other balls, making them very difficult to put down. Because of this, when we need to drop something, seldom do we pick the rubber ball.
METAL BALLS
When you drop metal balls, they make a lot of noise but can bounce back with visible damage and consequences. In this category you have work meetings, extended family, friends, and your health.
Metal balls are harder to hold than rubber balls, especially when we get stressed. They tend to slip more easily. Because of this, we often let them drop when we have too many priorities to juggle. The problem with dropping the metal ball is it takes time to recover from the long term consequences of neglecting it.
GLASS BALLS
When you drop glass balls, they often shatter. They may be able to be glued back together, but there will be missing pieces, and they may never function the same. In this category you have your relationship with Christ and then your immediate family.
As we juggle all of our balls, the glass ones tend to get dropped the most. We prioritize all of our rubber and steel balls over the time our spouse and family need with us. We don’t spend time nurturing and growing in our spiritual walks, and our character begins to reflect that.
So how do you prioritize your life? What are your first things first? Which balls are you juggling that need to be dropped to ensure the most important ones get the time they need?