I woke up late, missed Mass, and since we ate breakfast together as a family there was no time for me to write. When I finally got the opportunity to write, I was preparing a post on prayer—which you will probably see tomorrow. Then all of a sudden it came to me and I realized that here I am trying to write a blog post on prayer to share with you and I haven’t even taken the time today to pray myself.
A Few Lessons Learned
Obviously, I’m sharing this because God taught me a lesson that I think is easy to make. Hopefully, you won’t make the same. Here are a few of the lessons I learned from this experience.
1. Start Everyday with Prayer
When St. Paul says to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thes 5:17), he means it. When Jesus was busy casting out demons, healing people, and performing miracles, He always found time afterwards to get away to rest, recharge, and reconnect with His Father. Even though our ministry might be on a much lesser scale, nevertheless we too need that time alone with God before each day begins. Not only will your day go smoother, but you will more likely be doing what God wants you to do instead of just what you want. If you don’t want to start off your day on the wrong foot, start it off on your knees!
2. Get Your Priorities Straight
If you call yourself a Christian, then God has got to come first in your life. Period. You can make all the excuses you want. We’re all busy. Find the time. Five minutes of quality time can sometimes be better than an hour. Quality trumps quantity when it comes to God. Give Him the time of day and He will undoubtedly return the favor. You need Him more than you might think you do. There is a reason the first and greatest commandment was about giving yourself to God (Ex 20:3; Mt 22:37).
3. Sometimes You Need to Be Selfish
I’m always talking about selflessness on this blog, but there are times when you need to be selfish. Not in the sense that you stop caring for and loving others, but if you’re not right with God how can you expect to love others? You can’t do it without first being filled with His love. If your tank is empty you’ve got nothing to share. God gives abundantly. Ask Him for some love and you’ll be overflowing in no time (Ps 23:5).
You Can’t Give What You Don’t Have
The Christian mission of evangelization is all about inviting others to a relationship with Jesus, and about guiding those who already have that relationship into deeper intimacy with Him. It becomes problematic when we begin to speak of this intimate union with God if we ourselves are not or have not ever entered into it.
I can’t tell you how to fix a flat tire if I’ve never done it myself. If I’ve read about it or watched someone else do it I might be able to figure it out, but until I’ve actually changed a tire will my insights and guidance become of value to you.
So the moral of the story is, you can’t give what you don’t have. Your relationship with God is the source for all your missionary and charitable efforts. Helping others comes secondary to your time with God. Love God and He’ll give you all you need to love your neighbor.