I just listened to a TEDtalks presentation by Bjørn Lomborg on “Our priorities for saving the world.” While he holds highly controversial positions related to global problems, what I found most interesting was his discussion of how to think about setting priorities for solving problems.
Of course, one way of problem solving is to ask, “What is our biggest problem?” Then, we make solving that problem our priority. Lomborg suggests another approach: since we are almost always resource limited, prioritize on the basis of what will give us the best results for the resources we have available. I find it interesting to contemplate applying this idea not only to global issues, but to personal priorities, church priorities, and local government priorities.
Lomborg’s example (highly controversial) was that the biggest global problem facing us is climate change, but that we could get a far higher return (in terms of lives saved/quality of life) by solving AIDS. I think there are too many unknowns to be sure of his conclusions, but I am interested in thinking through setting priorities by carefully considering not only the biggest problem, but the most cost-effective solution as well.
I read this the other day and it made me think a bit about the difference between our priorities and God’s priorities. From our perspective we think about what might be the most effective way we can be used. However, I just wonder if God looks at it the same way. There are people serving in places in this world spending all the talents that God gave them only to see maybe 1 person come to Christ in their lifetime. Was it cost effective? Maybe not, maybe if they had gone elsewhere they could have seem 5 or 50 people come to Christ. We don’t know what God will do with that one saved soul that a person spent a lifetime to cultivate. In the end God may have bigger plans.