Not long ago, I traveled to a city in a country whose economy is ranked among the most dysfunctional and broken down in the world. While there, I found it fascinating and somewhat odd that almost everywhere I went, especially shops and eating places, the service staff would greet me with courtesy and unexpected warmth. It seemed quite paradoxical to me that such kindness would be shown to others to this extent in a place where people would be expected to be preoccupied with their own woes. Weeks later, I traveled to another city in a country whose economy is said to be vibrant and alive and where endless opportunities abound and a decent life is possible for those who will seize the chance. However, to my surprise, a good number of my interactions with staff in places deemed to be places of service were unpleasant, bordering on outright nasty. I sensed an attitude of disinterest at best, even when all I did was ask a simple question or require a basic service. So, here I was in a ‘prosperous’ place where one would expect everyone to be bouncing around with joy and anticipation but, instead, I encountered needless hostility. It all struck me as being quite ironic.

My learning point in reflecting on these two experiences was that, many times, the things we think are the most important in our lives may actually not be all that important. Perhaps they may be important but they are not the most important and, therefore, we should all guard against basing our whole lives on them. I should make it clear, given the experience I’ve just shared, that I’m not dismissing the importance of nations having viable, competitive economies where their citizens and residents can prosper or, at the very least, have stable lives. That would make me a hypocrite. But what I am saying is that there are other things also that matter and probably more so. Each of us has a responsibility to look deeply into our own lives and inspect with a microscope the things what we prioritize. We may find that, having neglected things of deeper or more lasting value, we have been on a track that will lead us nowhere eventually.

You will have noticed by now that I have used the word ‘things’ a couple of times in this post. This is quite intentional. I would like to leave it to you, the reader, to name what ‘things’ are for yourself, and decide what really matters to you. It’s not my job to dictate to anyone what they should prioritize in their life. We are all on very different journeys and, therefore, the responsibility of discovering what matters rests with us as individuals. What I am pushing for, however, is that each of us takes a bit of time some time, just to peep into our hearts and check what we give importance to. It may turn out that everything is not what it seems.

Taking the conversation deeper, it’s important to reassure ourselves with the knowledge that God looks at what’s going on inside us rather than focusing on outward appearance. If you don’t feel connected to God and want to know more about a relationship with Him, please click on the banner below.