Yesterday we looked at Paul’s prayer for the Philippians to “approve what is excellent.”

And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ… (Philippians 1.9, 10, ESV, emphasis mine)

There’s an everyday application, popularized by Stephen Covey. He categorized tasks as important (or not) and urgent (or not).

Some leaders have said that you should only work on tasks that are urgent AND important. That sounds good, but Covey saw it differently. He argued that if all your important tasks are also urgent, you haven’t planned very well. Hence our prayer,

Lord, help me approve things that are excellent. Help me not be distracted by the urgent but unimportant things. Help me decide to do important things even when they’re not urgent, especially when they’re not urgent.

A couple of quick examples. When one of our sons was a teenager, he had a hot little car that he enjoyed roaring around in. He kept gas in it, of course, an important and urgent task. But he didn’t pay attention to the oil – an important but generally non-urgent task. When it becomes urgent, it’s too late. Yep, he blew out the engine.

We all know that taking care of our bodies is a very important goal! But often the tasks associated with that goal – exercise, appropriate rest (Sabbath anyone?), recreation, etc. – are quadrant 2, important but not urgent, often overwhelmed by urgent tasks. Then we get sick or, worse, experience burnout. The late Dr. Howard Hendricks used to say:

Some people say, “I’d rather burn out than rust out!” Fine, but either way, you’re out! – Howard Hendricks

Robert Murray McCheyne illustrated that concept tragically:

Robert Murray McCheyne, after graduating from Edinburgh University at age fourteen in 1827 and leading a Presbyterian congregation of over a thousand at age twenty-three, he worked so hard that his health finally broke. Before dying at age twenty-nine he wrote, “God gave me a message to deliver and a horse to ride. Alas, I have killed the horse and now I cannot deliver the message.” – Retold at Bible.org

Again, Paul’s prayer that we “approve what is excellent” and Stephen Covey’s encouragement to focus on important, but NON-urgent tasks are good words for us all.

It’s useless to rise early and go to bed late, and work your worried fingers to the bone. Don’t you know he enjoys giving rest to those he loves? (Psalm 127.2, MSG)