It is a good idea not to major in minor things
(Anthony Robbins)
The secret for living a meaningful life is learning how to narrow your interests so that spiritual concerns dominate all other priorities. “Personal leadership is … an ongoing process of keeping your vision and values before you and aligning your life to be congruent with those most important things” (Steven Covey). When we overindulge ourselves with activity, we limit our possibility for spiritual blessing. Our common tendency is to become so involved in good that we crowd out the best. “How prevalent are divided souls who believe in God with the top of their minds, but deep down at the bottom they obey something else as the way of life. We are trying to live several selves at once, without all our selves being organized by a single mastering life within us” (Dr. Thomas Kelly).
“God gives us all we need from day to day; live for Him and make the Kingdom of God your primary concern” (Matthew). Focus on those things that are eternally important; and God will abundantly supply everything else—food, clothing, shelter, happiness, love. “Let the Lord be magnified, who has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant” (Psalm 35:27).
“All that is in the world is passing away but he or she who does the will of God abides forever” (Saint John). It is impossible to please the Lord if our lives are so cluttered that there is no room left for Him. Making a life is much more significant than making a living. What benefit will we earn or inherit if we gain the whole world and lose ourselves in the process? “A life is like a day; it goes by so fast. If I am careless with my days, how can I be careful with my life? I know that somehow, I have not fully come to believe that urgent things can wait while I attend to what is truly important. It finally boils down to a question of deep and strong conviction. Once I am truly convinced that preparing the heart is more important than preparing the Christmas tree, I will be a lot less frustrated at the end of a day” (Henri Nouwen). So the secret of 21st century success is the same as it has been in centuries past—God first.