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. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. Matthew 6:31–34
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. 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). Have there been times in your life when you have stopped to analyze all the things you do and wondered if any of it even matters? Could it be that we are working toward success in things that have no real value?
Paul said that there comes a time when we need to grow up––that is, “that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine” (Eph. 4:14). Children can be easily pushed around and led about because they lack the strength to push back and the experience to discern. 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. They will make every decision based on other people’s expectations, and although they may think they are driven by some high ideal (e.g., to be a good provider), they really don’t know why they are working so hard.
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 a little time now and then to make sure that we are doing the right things. Saul of Tarsus was working hard to stamp out Christianity (Acts 26:9). All the while, however, he was kicking against God’s prodding (v 14). Instead of serving God, Saul finally saw that he had been serving man instead without realizing it (Gal. 1:10). He would later 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” (Php. 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 it is marriage, why do you want to get married? If you are seeking a college degree, why do you want it? If you are working hard for a promotion, 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 they are to please self, maybe you should reconsider. There are people in 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 do I refuse myself the pleasure of leisure so that I can accomplish these things?” If you ask enough, you will eventually find the same motive for every activity, and if that answer is God, then you are on your way to true success.