Stop Chasing the Bone
Written by Rev. Dr. Scott Paczkowski
“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money. ”
Our society pushes forward and makes demands on us. We chase after the gold ring. We feel like a dog chasing after a bone. The dog doesn’t even know why it chases the bone. Is it hungry? Will it be gratifying? The dog doesn’t know or care; it just chases. That is what our lives can feel like at times. We are doing things without reason or control. Our lives are little more than instinct. Our instinct isn’t even as extraordinary as a Monarch Butterfly, which instinctually travels thousands of miles each year on the wind. Our instinct remains one monotonous, never-ending day.
As life continues to get more complex, living on instinct feels easier. Just get through the day. We’ve all known persons who have chosen instinct their entire lives and became elderly without a family who cares, a workplace who respected them, or a faith to sustain them. Never making the hard choices happens when we either have nothing we stand for, or we’ve slowly chipped away our values so long that we no longer stand for anything.
Being a person of faith requires courage. It takes courage to stand in the face of our culture and say, “Not me.” Not me to the financial treadmill that says enough is never enough. This treadmill has the power to devalue your family and faith. The challenge is that once on its spinning belt, it is tough to jump off. It takes a recommitment to what we once valued. Once we remember our values, it takes the necessary time to get our financials in place. Sacrifice what needs to be removed to focus on family and faith.
Today, pray as you prepare. Ask God to reframe your values so you can be the person you would be proud to be, standing before the pearly gates. The person without regret or apology as you are taking the last breath on this earth. Then, ask God to give you the courage to do the hard, humbling work of taking your life back. The blessing is that you will not have to do it alone. Once asked, God will help guide your path back to the life beyond instinct. No longer chasing the bone, will bring the simple joys of family and faith that will bring you joy for eternity.
