It’s no secret that we live in a society where we are pulled in 1,000 different directions at any given moment. With the convenience of technology, we never quite shut ourselves off to the noise of the world no matter what our positions and responsibilities are in life. Stillness is a luxury, and rest has become this elusive unicorn of sorts that we believe might exist in an alternate fairytale universe. We hustle, then we move on to our side hustle, then we squeeze in the remnants of our other ill-ranked priorities and tend to leave no space for the stuff that actually matters - things like strengthening our faith, demonstrating love to our significant others, holding our children, enjoying face-to-face interactions, simply taking time to breathe and just be.

I’m not sure what your motivations are for running this rat race (assuming you do). Mine can be pure at times but typically revolve around money, the accolades of supposed success, and a need for feeling important. Unfortunately, the most significant things that I neglected to include in the calculation of what should fall on my list of achievements was the astronomical costs of minimizing the very things God holds high. The cost of putting my spiritual growth on the back burner, the cost of losing precious moments with my children, the cost of having no spare second for any real quality time with my husband, the cost of constantly putting my friends and family on hold when they needed me most, and, let’s not forget, the cost of my overall health. This is an incredibly expensive list of expenditures I can’t go back and recoup.

I am thankful for the lessons learned, however, and I’m also grateful that I still have time (Lord willing) to re-prioritize and turn things around even though my life will look a little different as I exit off the highway and continue down this new road with a slightly slower speed limit. I long to become a master at counting my blessings and holding them close; to find different ways to use my talents responsibly as I assign value more accurately to the people and things that should rightfully take up the most space in my heart as well as on my calendar. Everything has a cost, friends. As we truly analyze these costs, we have to decide where we’re willing to back off and where we’re willing to step up. We all have 24 hours in a day. We each have choices to make as to how those hours are spent. Time can be expensive if we waste it on the things that don’t truly matter in the end. I know it’s cliché, but I really do try to image my final thoughts on my deathbed. What will I be happy I poured myself into and what are the areas I will wish I had thought through more carefully before giving them the donation of my precious hours. I also run this list through a biblical lens.

“Jesus said to everyone, ‘All who want to come after me must say no to themselves, take up their cross daily, and follow me. All who want to save their lives will lose them. But all who lose their lives because of me will save them. What advantage do people have if they gain the whole world for themselves yet perish or lose their lives?’” - Luke 9:23-25 (CEB)

So as I continue to take steps forward, I will do my best to:

• Take up my cross DAILY (our salvation is a one-time event, but our faith is an ongoing battle against our human nature).

• Relish in the renewal I have in Christ along with the peace, rest, and stillness that come with his love.

• Prioritize my choices based on what honors The Lord most and uplifts the people around me

What about you? Have you taken the time to count the cost, to really think through what will provide you with peace when your time comes slip away from this earth? If you haven’t, I urge you to consider it. I’m so glad I did. Carrying the cross of Christ can feel heavy sometimes, but not nearly as burdensome as carrying the regret of so many things I’ll forever wish I could change.