Cherish
I was at a grocery pick-up and was helping the employee load my vehicle with bags. I was also trying to wrap up my conversation with my husband and son on the phone, as well as acknowledge that my older boys were waiting for me to pick them up. This gentleman said, “You're a busy mom.” I agreed. Then shared that time is fleeting and that they grow too fast. He said, “That’s good you recognize it.” He proceeded to tell me that he and his wife were unable to have children. His revelation made me sad. There is so much we don’t know about others’ lives. This man didn’t have children, but he truly did know what was important. This simple discussion ended, but it further cemented my commitment to cherishing what matters most in life. How dare any of us take for granted the gifts we have been given from God? Yet, all too often, we spend our time complaining and focusing on meaningless things. Do we recognize what needs to be given priority?
I spent most of the day yesterday planning. It’s good to let the mind do this on occasion. Of course, I did make my family a lasagna, because feeding them is one of those priorities. King Jesus, also once helped a young man in prioritizing: “And he said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: you shall love your neighbor as yourself.’” (Matthew 22:37-39) Jesus clearly told us:
#1 Love God (with our whole selves). This means time in communication with him. You read the bible and hear what he has to say to you, and obey it. You pray, and God hears what you have to say to him. A relationship with God.
#2 Love Others (truly). This isn’t just our family; even the unrighteous love their own families. This also includes all other people, and this is hard, because many are difficult and rub us the wrong way. Yet, God didn’t call us to isolation, but to give, serve, and love others more and more.
#3 Love Ourselves (just as we love others). This is not narcissism, which is disgusting. This is simple, genuine care for oneself, so we can live out the calling God has for our lives.
After the above three, then it’s everything else: your phone and laptop (emails, social media, etc.), news, entertainment, hobbies, eating, drinking, streaming, shopping, and all the rest.
Do you need to eliminate any distractions? This isn’t easy, as a matter of fact, most of the items on the everything else list release hormones that give you great pleasure and lure you right back to them. Prioritizing takes deliberate discipline to live the great first and second commandments that Jesus laid out for an abundant life. So, with great affection and care, I implore you to recognize what matters most in life and cherish it.