C.S. Lewis in his essay First and Second Things says, “When first things are put first, second things don’t diminish, they increase.” You can’t get second things by putting them first; you can get second things only by putting first things first.
In other words, it’s the counter-intuitive paradox at the heart of the Christianity.
Want success as a blogger or writer? Put God and your duties as wife and mum first; run an orderly home; contribute to the happiness of your husband and children; take responsibility for your physical health, and you are more likely to be able to write and blog at full steam with God’s blessing.
Want friends. Again, put God, and your family first. A sense of peace, order and happiness will pervade your life, and friendships will be easier to form.
It’s the same with money or a career. Put them first, ahead of your spiritual life, health, family and friendships, and you will quite likely jeopardise all of these. But if the foundations are firm, you are free to set about making money with all your imagination and strength—and there are times in life when extra money has to be made!!
“Seek first the kingdom of god, and all these things will be added unto you.”
In other words, First Things First.
Putting second things first is a recipe for disorder in one’s finances, housekeeping, or personal and life organization.
Even in the micro-level of a day by doing our most important tasks first, relative peace and order pervades our life, and we have more mental peace for second things. It is the foundation of successful time-management.
(And as somebody, who is not naturally highly organized and disciplined, I can testify from the experience of failure that this is trueJ)
More from my site
“Anima Naturaliter Christiana”: A Naturally Christian Soul
Introducing My First Children’s Book, “Francesco, Artist of Florence: The Man Who Gave Too Much”
On Success and Failure and Accessing God’s Zany, Left-Field Ideas
“Acting Justly, Loving Mercy and Walking Humbly”: a guest post by Matthew Currey of Tearfund
The longing to travel
Indeed, it's the secret to an orderly, holy life, and we'll all forget and get it wrong all the time. Holy Spirit, remind us!
Any post that starts with a C.S. Lewis quote gets my attention. All so true, and so hard to put into practice sometimes.
Thanks much, Alison, Blessings, Anita
That's a solid word, Anita! Thanks for the reminder. It is so easy to get the order twisted, and to suffer the consequences.