“Like a stray dog at a whistler’s convention” is an old witticism that portrays the way many people live. In fact, for most of us, some days it appears that everyone is calling for our attention.  However, if you attempt to respond to every external beckoning, you will feel like a frenetic, out-of-breath dog that is always chasing but never catching.

Unfortunately, many well-intentioned, high-energy people assume they must attempt to meet everyone’s high expectations and as result meet no one’s expectations. How do you keep from responding to all of the “whistlers” in your life?  The answer to that question does not begin with learning time management skills but with character development. 

Establishing priorities is a major step on the path toward good character. Good character will result when we make pleasing God our top priority.  If you do this you will neither damage your family life nor be an unproductive employee. Pleasing God does not eliminate our social lives; rather, it transforms and vitalizes our relationships with others.   Pleasing God will help you make time for family, work, and friends, but you will not be responding to their whistles for attention. All people—including you and I—make very self-centered demands on others. But God’s demands for our lives will lead not only to honoring Him, but will benefit us and others.

Begin each day by asking God to lead you in knowing how best to please and honor Him. You will find that this spiritual discipline will not only will keep you from living the exhausted and defeated life, but it will help you become a principled and disciplined person with good character.

Gary Fenton
www.Characterpath.com