Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Matthew 6:31–33
We all understand the importance of keeping our priorities in order, but with the pressures of daily living, it is easy to get tangled in an endless loop of chores in which we are constantly busy and stressed, but never really productive. Author Steven Covey put it this way: “It’s incredibly easy to get caught up in an activity trap, in the busy-ness of life, to work harder and harder at climbing the ladder of success only to discover it’s leaning against the wrong wall. It’s possible to be busy—very busy—without being very effective” (The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, p. 98). Could it be that we are working toward success in things that have no real value? If you could set the world record high score on a popular arcade game, would that mean anything? What if you won an Olympic gold medal?
Paul said that there comes a time when we need to grow up, “that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men” (Ephesians 4:14). Children can be easily pushed around and misled because they lack the strength to push back and the experience to discern motives. There are a lot of grown people, however, who allow themselves––just like the wind––to be pushed around by the slightest change in the atmospheric pressure around them.
There is a lot to be said for making sure that we work hard and take the time to do things right, but we also need to take some time to make sure we are doing the right things. Saul of Tarsus was working hard to stamp out Christianity. He later told Agrippa, “Indeed, I myself thought I must do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth” (Acts 26:9). All the while, however, Saul was kicking against the goading of the Scriptures and God’s messengers (v 14). Instead of serving God, he was serving man without realizing it (Galatians 1:10). As the apostle Paul, he would write, “Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13–14). Paul was not going to lose his focus as he had done in his earlier years. He wanted to make sure that his efforts and sacrifices were going to lead to a goal worth reaching.
What are you striving for? If you have your sights set on a college degree, why do you want it? If you are working hard for a promotion or a raise, why is that important to you? If your goal is to lose 30 pounds, why do you want to lose them? If achieving these goals will help you to serve God more effectively, then they are things worth pursuing, but if not, maybe it’s time to reconsider what matters. There are people in eternal torment right now who were slim, married, wealthy, and successful in their jobs, and there are people in paradise who lacked all these socially coveted treasures. Take a look at the things that keep you busy and ask yourself, “Why am I working so hard to accomplish these things?” If God is your motivation, then you are on your way to true success.