There are times when one feels the need to make a concession to humanity by allowing earthly responsibilities to take precedence over spiritual growth. In fact, this could describe the first years or even decades of a Lifetime. Hopefully in every Life there will come a time when spiritual matters announce their sense of urgency and we listen. Once we have heard that call, we will still have periods of time when we are called back to attend to earthly matters. This is okay as long as the search for Wisdom and Truth remains on the radar, and is attended to with increasing frequency as earthly matters settle.

There are times when it feels that ongoing earthly matters predominate and refuse to settle; going on and on ... and on ... ... and on. When this is the case perhaps one should consider sacrificing carefully chosen earthly priorities for the greater good. Because what greater good is there than spiritual matters? I say 'carefully chosen' because I strongly believe that our responsibilities to our humanity and to others must be taken seriously. When made, sacrifices should be balanced by (or exceeded by) the value gained as a result of the sacrifice; both personally and communally.

This may not always be possible in that one cannot presume to know another's priorities or values. If my emphasis is on seeking Truth and Wisdom (spiritual matters) and another's emphasis is on securing earthly / physical comforts, then the value gained by a sacrifice in one area will be judged differently by the different viewpoints. This is going to happen, and unfortunately in the narcissistic materialism of today it may happen frequently. So occasionally one may be compelled to go against majority opinion and follow one's heart/soul/instinct to stay their spiritual path.

For me (and I believe for many) the pursuit of spiritual matters helps to settle or calm earthly matters. So if this - a choice between earthly matters and spiritual matters - is the dilemma, it would seem that spiritual matters would be of greater benefit (particularly from a long-term perspective); though as implied in the phrase 'narcissistic materialism' earthly matters often have a stronger gravitational pull, prompting us to prioritize in that direction.

I said a few weeks ago (in this post) that in order to fly I had to 1) 'let go' to make gravity disappear, or 2) realize that gravity is nonexistent; merely a construct within my mind. Either way, earthly considerations seem to pale and grow small in the lightness of flight.

The search for Truth, Wisdom, and ultimately Happiness is a spiritual matter. The quest for comfort, security, enjoyment, and happiness is largely an earthly matter, though some elements can and do contribute to Happiness. When uncertainties exist, I would like to think I resist gravity and consciously move toward spirituality. As always, the reality may differ from circumstance to circumstance.

Bottom Line - To grow spiritually will add value to our daily existence; both personally and communally.