God and Priorities

"Do we live for God or do we live for ourselves? What are our priorities?"

It is a matter of priorities.

Actor Neal McDonough recently recalled a time when he was fired from the ABC television series “Scoundrels” for refusing to do love scenes with his series co-star.

“I was (surprised), and it was a horrible situation for me,” the actor recently told entertainment news site, Closer Weekly. “After that, I couldn’t get a job because everybody thought I was this religious zealot. I am very religious. I put God and family first, and me second. That’s what I live by. It was hard for a few years.”

“Scoundrels” went on to receive mixed reviews and lasted only one season. But the damage to McDonough was very real. The work lost in those years represented millions of dollars in potential pay. But the actor was firm in his convictions, “I won’t kiss any other woman because these lips are meant for one woman.” It became so difficult to find work that McDonough was ready to give up a career in Hollywood and return home to work in regional theater and help with his parents Cape Cod motel.

Staying true to the tenets of the Christian faith can be difficult, and expensive in terms of lost opportunity. But that does not make bearing witness any less vital.

Throughout scripture there is a question that is constantly asked of us. It is asked in different ways, using different words but it is always the same question.

“Do we live for God or do we live for ourselves?” What are our priorities?

In the Gospel according to Luke, Jesus states “If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.” “Hate” is a strong word in our contemporary society. A better (and perfectly legitimate) translation would to “love less.” Jesus does not tell us we must hate our mother and father, rather He tells us that we must put God before everything else, even before family and friends.

The question God asks of us seems simple and easily answered but it is very demanding. If we live for God we must realize what it is we are saying.

When we say we live for God we are affirming our love for Him, even in difficult times, even when we are jobless, when we are having a difficult time paying bills, when we are in danger of losing our homes, when health problems cripple us or our loved ones, even when we lose those we love. When we study the lives of the saints we frequently see that as their love for God grows their lives become more difficult. But those who prevail and find victory inspire us in our struggles.

How we answer this question dictates how we live our lives. Do we live for God or do we live for ourselves? These are the only two paths open to us. There is no other, middle way.

Pax Vobiscum
6th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Read more at www.DeaconLawrence.org

© Lawrence Klimecki

Purchase fine art prints by Deacon Lawrence here.

Deacon Lawrence draws on ancient Christian tradition to create new contemporary art that seeks to connect the physical and the spiritual.. For more information on original art, prints and commissions, Please visit www.DeaconLawrence.org 

Lawrence Klimecki, MSA, is a deacon in the Diocese of Sacramento. He is a public speaker, writer, and artist, reflecting on the intersection of art and faith