The Choice Is in Your Priorities
Philipose Vaidyar
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In the mid-1980s, when I was still trying to discern the
direction of my life, I had a series of encounters that quietly—but
deeply—shaped the way I understand people, ministry, and leadership.
It began in 1985, when I visited an American missionary
named Esther Mary Otten in a neighboring town. Our meetings were not long or
elaborate, but there was something about the way she engaged that stayed with
me. I didn’t realize it then, but that simple visit was the beginning of a
formative journey.
A year later, 1986 -1987 was a season I set apart—to pray,
to experience ministry firsthand, and to discern a future calling. That one
academic year contract, I attended a one-and-a-half-month study program in
Highfield, Kotagiri. But what left the deepest impression on me wasn’t the
structure of the program. It was the people.
There was Ms.Shirley Christopher from Mysore on the national
staff. Then Ms.Jean Palmquist, an American, and Ada Lum, a Chinese from Honolulu,
Jane and John Martin from Britain. Different cultures, different
personalities—but they shared something that set them apart.
They noticed you.
They knew your name. They spoke with you in a way that felt
personal, unhurried, and genuine. Their conversations didn’t impress—they
lifted. You walked away not flattered, but encouraged. Not managed, but valued.
That raises an important question: what made them
different?
It wasn’t that they agreed with everything or endorsed every
plan. It wasn’t about personality or background. The difference, I came to
understand, was in their inner arrangement—the priorities of their hearts.
LEADER and DEALER are made of
the same letters. The same potential. The same raw material. But it’s the
arrangement that makes all the difference.
A dealer arranges life around self—what can be
gained, controlled, or measured.
A leader, on the other hand, arranges life around others—how they can be
seen, strengthened, and served.
These individuals were leaders—not because of position, but
because of posture. They carried a quiet, Christ-like attentiveness that made
others feel significant. Looking back, I can say with conviction: they were, in
their own simple way, extensions of the love of God.
Over the years, I have met many more like them.
I have also met the opposite—those who remain unmoved by
your efforts or achievements, yet quick to point out your shortcomings. Those
who measure, label, and sometimes diminish. The contrast is unmistakable.
But the greater lesson has been this: what we receive, we
are responsible to pass on.
What these people meant to me—and what I have learned from
the Word of God—has profoundly shaped my Christian ministry, my relationships,
and my way of life. It has helped me form a simple but demanding principle:
What you learn, share. What you earn, be willing to
share.
Paul the Apostle writes in the Epistle to the *Romans 12:9 and
following—let your love be sincere… be devoted to one another… be willing to
associate with people of low position.
That is not just theology. That is practice. That is
leadership.
So the question is not whether we have the capacity—we all
do. The letters are the same.
The real question is—
How are you arranging them?
_______
Note:
*Romans 12:9 -16
9 Love
must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be
devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above
yourselves. 11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual
fervor, serving the Lord. 12 Be joyful in hope, patient in
affliction, faithful in prayer. 13 Share with the Lord’s people
who are in need. Practice hospitality.
14 Bless
those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with
those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. 16 Live in harmony
with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people
of low position. Do not be conceited.
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