The pressure to succeed by secular standards, to measure success by visible accomplishments rather than by biblical guidelines, is subtle and often insidious.
—Ted W. Engstrom

Consider the pastor with a priority.

At eight-thirty on Tuesday morning he's at his desk, refreshed, motivated, and abounding with energy to tackle what he considers his most pressing problem. His church sits at the edge of a growing medical complex in a southern city with a large ratio of retirees. The potential—yea, the need—for ministering to these people weighs on him. Very little has been done.

Now he sees some light. One gifted leader has volunteered to get involved. A businessman on the board has hinted he would give heavily to support such a ministry. The board itself has endorsed the idea, and dozens of church members have signed "I'm interested in helping" cards. One person added an enthusiastic note to the card.

So with yellow pad in hand, our hero considers his priorities for the week:

1. Call the businessman; ...