How The Threshing Floor Teaches Prioritization 🌾

Threshing floors are mentioned more than 30 times in the Bible, serving both symbolic and practical purposes. In practice, they were a way for farmers to create value for their community through a grain-separation process.

A threshing floor was a flat, open space, often situated on a hill, where farmers separated valuable grain from largely worthless chaff. Using the wind, the grain would fall to the floor while the chaff blew away. Farmers would then beat the grain to extract what was edible, where it would then be sold, given to the poor, or used to feed their families and livestock, ultimately creating value for the community around them.

In essence, the threshing floor revealed what mattered to the farmer and what didn’t.

And I think of the image of a threshing floor, I see it serving as a meaningful lens for prioritization in 2026.

The grain represents the areas of your life that bring value, things that glorify God, benefit others, and contribute to your own growth. Lean into them. Commit, even when challenges arise.

• Also important to note that just as a farmer beats the grain to separate what is edible from what is not, seasons of hardship reveal which areas of life truly drive value and which do not. Lean into the challenge!

The chaff represents areas of life that are meaningless, fleeting, or not producing lasting value. Consider stepping away from them.

To make this practical, try auditing your day to identify the grain and chaff in your rhythms. Then adjust accordingly.

Take Joe, for example:

• 6 hours asleep

• 8 hours working

• 2 hours commuting

• 2 hours on social media (1 hour right before bed)

• 2 hours gaming after work

• 1 hour working out

• 2 hours on relationship building

• 1 hour cooking

*Joe is not a real human being, just an example 😆

What’s wheat and what’s chaff here? It depends on the person. For Joe, reducing social media and gaming (chaff) could open up space for mentorship, intentional rest, community time, or better sleep (wheat).

There’s no cookie-cutter approach. It ultimately comes down to clarifying what you value and what you don’t, then aligning your day accordingly. Commit more to the grain. Let go of the chaff.

Disclaimer: I don’t have this figured out. I see a lot of Joe in me. But conducting this kind of audit has helped me visualize where I can re-commit to meaningful areas of life and let go of time-wasters.

With 345 days left in the year, perhaps the image of a threshing floor can help us prioritize wisely and make the most of every opportunity God has given us, as Paul encourages in Ephesians.

“Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:15-16, NIV). 

As always, let us know how we can help you navigate your world as you navigate the world.

In Your Corner.

See you next Tuesday!