Priorities
Basketball is life….the rest is just details. I wanted one of those shirts so badly. As a young teen, I could show everyone how important basketball was to me. How serious of a player I was. Where my priorities were. Yeah, I could make a statement with that shirt.
My parents were probably trying to teach me a lesson in humility (and responsible money spending) by not buying me that shirt. (Thank you, Mom & Dad.) But I thought it was the right message to show the world what was important to me. Who knows, the shirt itself might even elevate my game.
This Sunday’s Gospel brings us to a self-reflection of where we place importance in our lives. Jesus makes a delineation - there is God, and there is mammon, which is the word Jesus used for riches or material things. Only two options: we either place our eyes on God, or we place our eyes on mammon. It seems like a pass or fail test. Jesus tells us it is one or the other:
“No servant can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and mammon.” Luke 16:13
As a basketball-obsessed teen, it was clear that my line of sight was more in line with mammon than God. Maybe not an uncommon trend among teenagers; but it serves as a vivid example of how we can allow “stuff” to compete for God’s heart.
What is the mammon today that I keep in my line of sight instead of keeping my eyes on Christ? What are things that I prioritize over God’s plans for me? Where do I place my energies, and then sadly not have enough energy for other important things?
If your own examen does not provide you with direction, then can I suggest that you ask your family or close friends? Get ready; it might not be pretty at first, but they will be the ones to help you see areas where refining and reprioritizing could be helpful. I say this with some sarcasm, but I am grateful to have a family that calls me out and points out my flaws. Overall, I do really mean that. I don't think anyone 100% likes to be called out for personal flaws, but how else are we going to grow as individuals if no one calls us out or helps raise the bar for us?
We usually know it deep down, but then when someone tells us to “put away your phone” or “be more present,” it stings a bit more, and pushes our desire to improve a little harder. These words resonate with me, and those directives continue to be a personal battle for me to drop my to do list and be more present, or put away my phone. I don’t enjoy hearing from those closest to me where I am struggling or could use improvement, but nearly all the time, their advice is bringing me closer to Christ. Away from the mammon, and closer to Christ.
May we continue to strive to keep our eyes on Christ and find strength to return to him when we drift away toward mammon. I found a shirt for motivation:
