Hebrews 12:1 “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.’

Hebrews 12:1-2 informs us that we have a race to run and a purpose to fulfill. I love how the Amplified Classic version phrases it: “the appointed course.” Everyone has an appointed course to run that’s unique to them. In order to run this race with as much fluidity as possible, we are instructed to “lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily ensnares us”— but what does this look like practically?

Establishing order in the 5 major areas of life—faith, family, friends, finances, and feelings— helps us have fluidity in our schedules so that we can more easily focus on running where God has us. (You can probably think of more areas to establish order, but this keeps it simple.) Order keeps us from the point of distraction. This is a different strain of the same truth that I teach about money mastery. When we become masters over our money, the pursuit of money no longer dictates how we spend our time. When we have order in the major areas of our lives, my thoughts and time aren’t divided from the mission that God has put in front of me. We can view our family, friends, and finances as blessings that help us enjoy and reach that mission rather than stumbling blocks in the way.

The 5 Areas of Order:

Faith: This is the most important area to get order in because it gives clarity to all of the other areas. Set time aside to pray and be with God. M.E. Andross says it like this, “Time spent alone with God is not wasted. It changes us; it changes our surroundings; and every Christian who would live the life that counts, and who would have power for service must take time to pray.” In addition, get with a community of believers or, if you don’t have one yet, pray for that, too.

Family: Evaluate your familial relationships. Are you happy with where they are? Dedicate specific times to call family members who live farther away. Set apart a night a week for you and the people you live with to do something special. If there’s strife between you and your spouse, get counseling. These are just some ideas to create a better system in your family life!

Friends: I always told my kids to be careful about who they were hanging around and what they were doing to them. Like it or not, the people you spend the most time with will affect you. Make sure your close friendships are edifying.

Finances: If you know anything about WealthBuilders, you know that we typically camp out in this area. We can build wealth and bless others by utilizing financial wisdom. If you haven’t already, establish a budget and leverage the knowledge of a financial planner to develop a long-term financial plan.

Feelings: We don’t like to address them, but they’re there. Feelings aren’t bad and they can be especially powerful when we know how to address them. Our emotions filter into everything we do. One way to process what’s going on in your life emotionally is to journal. If being in touch with your emotions isn’t your forte, consider reading one of the many wonderful books on emotional intelligence.

Order Over Perfection

The desire for control is a natural human impulse. It is important to understand that control is NOT the same as order. You will never be able to have full control over any of these areas (anyone who is married or has kids knows that!) When we try to control things, we are often trying to fit them into some kind of perfect paradigm. Order is better than perfection because it

1. Involves trusting God more
2. Operates with more grace
3. Is  more productive

Think about it—people who try to be perfect often find themselves in analysis paralysis. They try to control everything to such a degree that they never take necessary leaps of faith to get started. My friend Frank Pulley calls this idea the B+ principle. Essentially, striving for an A+ in everything will leave you exhausted with fewer results. Doing good work in an ordered system while learning from your mistakes (a B+) ultimately produces a better return.