Not sure where you stand with your priorities? Perhaps your bookshelf is an indicator.

How many books do you have about your personal walk with God? How many about marriage? How many about parenting? How many about pastoral stuff? I know, a lot of books apply to multiple priorities - but in general, if I were to peruse your library*, what would I think you valued most?

Not a reader? How about your podcast lineup? Not a podcast-listener? What about your Twitter feed? Not a Twitt? Then you're exempt from this test...

For me, my library consists of equal parts personal faith and pastoral stuff with a little marital and parental sprinkled on top. This seems to indicate that my reading priorities are as follows: 1) Faith and pastoral ministry; Distant 2) Marriage and parenting.

My podcast lineup: I cheated and subscribed to a bunch of marriage and family podcasts a couple of weeks ago.** Before that, it was ALL personal faith and pastoral stuff + Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me, which applies to all my important priorities.***

My Twitter follows suit...

* Which I might!
**I was convicted by my own blog.
*** Lest you think I'm not well rounded, I also have a smattering of historical, political, and comedic podcasts. So there.

Which looks more prestigious, secret prayer time (no one sees it!); living with your wife in an understanding, selfless way; training your kids in the way they should go; or John Pipering your sermons while Mark Driscolling your church marketing?

What do more people want you to do? Be a good Christian, a good husband, a good father, or a good pastor?

I have about 125 people looking to me to be a good pastor; two people looking to me to be a good dad; one person looking to me to be a good husband; and no people really looking to me to be a good Christian. 125 pats on the back, 2 pats on the back, 1 pat on the back, or no pats on the back.

If we operate according to prestige and the desires of those around us, we'll get it wrong.

Anyone with a Twitter account had to sit down and think of a short bio to explain their identity. What did you come up with? Here are some of the bios from the men I follow. Notice how they compare with the four priorities:

Michael Bleeker: Husband to Faith Bleecker. Father to Evan, Jude and Beau. Worship Pastor of The Village Church.

Bob Kauflin: Director of worship development for Sovereign Grace Ministries, sinner saved by Jesus Christ, husband, father, grandfather, pastor, keyboardist, songwriter.

Paul Washer: Husband. Father. Missionary. Preacher.

Ligon Duncan: Husband, Father, Presbyterian Minister, Professor of Theology, President of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals, Chariman of CBMW, etc.

Scott Thomas: President of Acts 29. Church Planting Pastor at Mars Hill Church in Seattle. Husband. Father. Friend. Coach. Teacher. Disciple. Redeemed Sinner.

Ed Stetzer: Christian. Husband. Father. President of LifeWay Research. Missiologist. Pastor.

Jimmy Needham: Ambassador for Christ | Husband | Singer-Songwriter | Teacher

Trip Lee: Believer saved by grace, husband, learner, rapper, preacher, writer

Bruce Ashford: Follower of Christ, husband of Lauren, father of Riley Noelle, elder of The Summit Church, Dean of the College of Southeastern

JR Vassar: Christ follower, Husband, Father, Pastor of Apostles Church NYC

David Platt: Husband to Heather, Dad to Caleb and Joshua, and Pastor of The Church at Brook Hills.

Often, higher priorities seem less urgent and lower priorities seem more urgent. This makes things difficult.

Which seems more urgent to you:
a) your spiritual responsibilities
b) your marital responsibilities
c) your parental responsibilities
d) your pastoral (or other vocation) responsibilities

Which is loudest in your ears:
a) God's still small voice
b) your wife's voice working beside you
c) your kids' voices reverberating off every wall of your house at you
d) or your congregation's voice pumped though phone calls, emails, meetings, and anxiety dreams

If we operate according to urgency, we'll get it wrong...

1. Christian

2. Husband

3. Father

4. Pastor

My identity can be laid out in four priorities. The most important and intangible toward the top. The loudest and most demanding toward the bottom. My life is an act of time-management-acrobatics (TMA) performed to the tune of these four priorities.

I love these four aspects of my life and I hope this blog will help me keep them straight. Maybe it will help you too. I've noticed as I roll around in the Internet that many men present these as their social networking bio. Maybe you're one of them.

Check back. Comment. Facebook it. Tell your four priority friends. Enjoy.