Financial Spring Cleaning
What's Your Highest Priority?
If your parents were anything like mine were, the stage was set from an early age for me to consider priorities. My parents insisted on a clean room before I could play outside. As a teenager, homework had to be completed before I was permitted to hang out with my friends. There was no higher priority on Sunday than attending Mass, no matter what else was going on.
From a very early age, I was taught the importance of setting priorities, which is a learning process that has served me well in adulthood.
As adults, we have a never ending set of priorities that are important to us. On your own list of priorities, you may have things such as earning a promotion, getting a new car or boat, moving into a bigger house, or getting your hands on the newest tech toys.
Are you sensing a pattern?
If your list of priorities mirrors the one above, it may be time to rethink the things that are most important to you. While earning a promotion, buying creature comforts and fulfilling your desire for new toys may temporarily put a smile on your face, they don’t quite encompass the big picture. Possessions and money can easily become the highest priority for many of us.
It's hard to realize that money is simply a tool and the possessions it buys us will not last forever. Do a quick check of what is important to you. What is your number one priority? Is God at the very top of the list? If not, your priorities need to be re-adjusted. We've all heard the saying "God is my co-pilot." If you are in the pilot seat, and God is helping you in second place, you are in the wrong seat!
The purpose of prioritization is to put an emphasis on the things that will help us lead an abundant life with God as our number one priority. This is the only way we can fulfill the unique purpose God has for each of us.
During this Easter season, look at your priorities in light of Jesus’ ultimate sacrifice. Colossians 3:2 tells us to “Think of what is above, not of what is on earth.” By placing God first, all other areas of our lives fall neatly into place. In adopting the attitude of a financial disciple, the importance of money and possessions diminishes and you will be rewarded by a fuller, happier life with a feeling of peace and contentment.
It is easy to fall into the trap of our worldly society and think that possessions and money are the ultimate measure of your success, but true happiness and peace can only be attained by having God as our number one priority.
There are seven weeks until Pentecost Sunday. Spend this time in prayer and reflection on your priorities by talking with Jesus daily. Focus on your relationship with Jesus by making him your number one priority.
May the joy and blessings of Easter be with you.
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About the Author
A Faithful Steward is an outreach of Compass Catholic Ministries. The mission of Compass Catholic Ministries is to inspire individuals and families to unite their faith and finances by providing information and tools, illuminated by our Catholic faith, allowing them to become financially unburdened and able to say “yes” to God’s call. We hope that our blog posts and articles will help Catholics to put their faith into action using their finances to carry out and continue the work of Jesus Christ on earth.
