Spiritual Focus: Learning from Warren Buffett and the Great Commission
I recently read an article that fascinated me for both its wisdom and simplicity regarding priorities. It discussed Warren Buffett’s “Rule of 25,” a method that perfectly illustrates the power of focus in living a purposeful life.
The Power of Priorities
According to Buffett’s “Rule of 25,” you begin by listing your top 25 life goals. Once they’re written down, you identify the five that matter most. Then comes the hard part—cross out the remaining 20. Buffett calls them distractions.
The exercise reveals something profound: success, clarity, and impact come not from doing more, but from focusing on what truly matters.
Focus in Leadership
During my 28 years as a bank examiner for the U.S. Treasury Department, I observed this same principle in effective leaders. Each Presidentially appointed head of our agency entered with a clear, strategic agenda—a focused set of priorities to accomplish during their five-year term.
Given our agency’s size (over 4,000 employees) and its oversight of more than 65% of U.S. commercial banking assets, focus wasn’t optional—it was essential. The leaders who made the greatest impact were those who could define and communicate the few critical objectives that truly mattered.
When leaders maintained clarity of focus, their teams understood the mission, aligned their efforts, and turned everyday tasks into meaningful contributions toward larger strategic goals.
The Ultimate Model of Spiritual Focus
As powerful as Buffett’s principle is, there’s an even higher standard of focus demonstrated by our ultimate CEO—Jesus Christ. In His Great Commission, Jesus laid out the central mission for all His followers:
“All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you…” (Matthew 28:18–20)
In this divine mission statement, Jesus clearly defined our spiritual focus and top priorities:
- Go. Each of us—every disciple—is called to move, to act, to go where we are sent.
- Teach all nations. We are to share God’s truth both near and far, across every culture and community.
- Baptize. We represent the Kingdom of Heaven as royal ambassadors, empowered to extend God’s grace and invite others into His family.
- Teach obedience. We are to pass on all that Jesus commanded, speaking words of spirit and life wherever He sends us.
Staying Focused on the Mission
The Great Commission remains unfinished, which means our mission continues. The expansion of God’s Kingdom requires unwavering spiritual focus—a heart and mind fixed on the goals our Lord set before us.
If we remain focused on His mission, the results will come. The Church will grow, lives will change, and we’ll fulfill the vision of our CEO, Jesus Christ.