I heard recently from a man in his fifties. He said, "I've learned that the challenge of life is to find out what's important and to disregard everything else."

Not bad advice! It's really a shame to think about wasting your life on cotton candy, soda pop, television, and accumulating stuff while doing without what's really important. But so many folks actually live this way, totally missing out on the important things of life.

Missing the point can happen to dedicated and religious people, too. Jesus came down awfully hard on the people who spent a lot of time worrying about how to tithe tiny bits of spices but never bothered about the greater matters of the law: justice, mercy, love, and faith (Matthew 23:23-24).

I guess the question is, have you learned what really counts? Do you know how to disregard the other stuff? God's Word is a pretty good guide in that search. So is seeking after the heart and wisdom of God! Only God can help us find the path to what's truly important!

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. (Proverbs 3:5-6).