What Really Matters

Popularity? How many likes and follows you get on social media? Having lots of friends? Peace? Doing what's right and pleasing God? What really matters to you? It's a personal question that each of us has to ask ourselves daily. Looking at our priorities will help us see our answer pretty quickly. Priorities are what is important to us and what we pay attention to. When something is important to us, we make time for it. When someone is important to us, we check on them and spend time with them. In other words, we make time for them. It's our priorities that show what really matters to us. As Christians, our number one priority should be to live and please God. We should want to make Him proud in all that we do and say. Now, there's nothing wrong with being on social media, having nice possessions and hanging out with your friends. All of those can be nice! But, when they or the means to get them cause you to compromise your faith and not please God, then you need to look at what matters to you a lot more closely. Instead of getting on social media first thing in the morning, let's check in with God first through prayer and reading His Word. I know it's tempting to click on your notifications, but let's do our best to hold off on that. When we do get on social media, we need to make sure that what we're saying and commenting on pleases God. We shouldn't do and write something just so someone will like it. We should do it so others will be helped and uplifted. If what we say is pulling people away from God rather than towards Him, then we need to check our priorities. Not only should we constantly check what we're doing online, we should check what we're doing offline. We should check our daily conversations and interactions with others. We should check our words, thoughts, actions and attitudes daily. Is it really worth it to mistreat people and put people down just to look cool in front of others? Is it really worth it to do something just to be recognized and get a pat on the back so everyone knows you did it? No, none of these are worth it at all. So, let's talk about what really matters. What really matters is that you are being yourself, doing the best you can, caring for and helping others and focusing on the fact that your number one priority is to please God. What really matters is that we're grateful in everything, spending time with God, being kind to ourselves and others, and living each day knowing that we are responsible for everything we do. We need to have a growth mindset that we will keep on trying, put in a lot of effort, learn from our mistakes and not give up. We need a growth mindset that focuses on progress, not perfection. We also need to look out for others and not tear down each other and gossip. Words and looks hurt, so we need to be mindful of that. At the end of the day, what really matters has nothing to do with money, fame, popularity and social media likes. It has everything to do with living a life that's pleasing to God and giving our best. It's about having an attitude of gratitude and not impressing others. It's about love, gratefulness, kindness, respect, sincerity. At the end of the day, unlike other things, these will not fade away. Here's to what really matters!