In The Spiritual Life, John Westerhoff and John Eusden write: “Our primary orientation cannot be an institution or some great cause or even other people, but first and forever to God. Unless our identity is hid in God we will never know who we are or what we are to do.”
How true those words are. So often we do commit ourselves to institutions (even the church), or causes (like a ministry), or people (even church friends), at the expense of placing our identity in God. We commit ourselves to these things, and make them priorities in our life, and then after we have committed, ask God to bless us and our plans.
What Westerhoff and Eusden go on to say is that when we commit to a life of prayer, where God and the leadership of the Holy Spirit are first, then we get to a place where our commitment to these institutions, causes, and relationships are the natural result of God’s leadership.
So I invite you to think about the things in your life that you are committed to, and ask whether or not you are committed to it, and asking God’s blessing on it, or whether you are committed to God, and your involvement in other things is the result of your relationship with God. And then re-commit yourself to giving in to God’s leadership. You will find a peace about the priorities of your life that will permeate all of your relationships.
Blessings, Sonny