On Sunday, my pastor gave a sermon that really struck me.

He said that everyone nowadays is busy. It’s why we don’t have time for certain things. Specifically, spending time with God.

And to be honest, I thought, “Yeah. I am busy. I know God understands, though. I try. I try to be a good employee, and a good wife, and I try to exercise and plan healthy meals. And I try to hone the skills he gave me as a writer and a singer so I can bless others. I AM busy.”

But then my pastor said this: “As busy as we all are, we make time for what we value.”

Gulp.

I don’t know why, but like I said–that just really struck me. Between the eyes.

Because life is a series of choices. We live it and it’s possible that we sometimes get caught up in it. In the whirlwind of craziness and busyness and everything good and everything bad going on around us.

But in the end, we really do live it based on our priorities, whether they’re conscious or not.

If that’s true, then that means I really don’t value God and my time with Him. Not if I’m basing my time on what I value.

And then my pastor said this: “We are shaped by what we think about.”

When I think about this, I’ll be honest…I get so overwhelmed. I start to feel like life is conquering me instead of me conquering it. Like this nebulous thing called busyness is taking over my life and I can’t control it. Like the person I want to be can’t possibly ever exist because there’s just too much “stuff” going on.

But then, my pastor said this: “We are the determiners of what we value and what we think about.”

Oh.

God gives us a choice. He gives me a choice every day: what will I value? He nudges me gently, asking me, “Lindsay, what are you going to value today? Me or the television? Me or that book? Me or your writing? Me or your friends?”

See, not all of those things are bad. Not at all. Reading and television are ways to rest, and we need rest sometimes. My writing is not bad in and of itself, but it is if it becomes an idol. Friendships are Heaven-sent, necessary for my sanity.

But none of those things should trump my time with God.

If I start to value ANY of those things–good or bad–more than I value Him, then yes…my life is going to be filled to the brim with craziness and busyness and a tornado of turmoil. Because when I’m not spending time with Him, my path isn’t straight. My head can’t be clear. My emotions take over.

But you know what? I love that He gives me a choice in the matter.

It’s scary, to be sure. To know that I determine what I value. To know that I’ll likely screw up my priorities time and again.

But to know also, that in choosing Him, I have a way to please Him. I have a way to make sure my life is focused, and purposeful. A clear path toward the light.

And when I do mess up and focus on the wrong thing–letting the bad or the not-as-good-as-they-could-be things–that makes coming home and correcting my focus all the sweeter.

Your Turn: Do you find it true that what you think about shapes you?

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