Your life is shaped by what you put first. When priorities are aligned intentionally, faith, peace, and purpose are no longer crowded out.
There’s a story about a metaphor that changed my life:
A professor walks into a class without saying a word and places four things on the desk in front of him:
A clear, empty glass jar.
A pile of large rocks.
A pile of pebbles.
And a pile of sand.
Without explanation, he begins filling the jar with the rocks.
He looks up and asks, “Is the jar full?”
Most students nod. It looks full.
Then he pours in the pebbles. He gently shakes the jar. The pebbles settle into the open spaces between the rocks.
Again, he asks, “Is it full now?”
More nods.
Finally, he pours in the sand. It flows easily, filling every remaining space, even the ones no one noticed before.
Only then does he speak.
“The jar represents your life.”
“The rocks are the most important things: Your faith, family, closest relationships, health, purpose... The values that anchor who you are.”
“The pebbles are the meaningful but secondary things: Your work, responsibilities, commitments, routines…”
“The sand is everything else: The noise, distractions, urgent demands…The things that feel important but rarely are.”
If you fill your life with sand first, there is little room left for everything else.
This happens gradually.
A packed calendar.
A yes given too quickly.
A priority pushed to “later.”
Before you know it, what matters most receives whatever space remains.
Jesus warned us about this when He said, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33)
He was teaching a principle of alignment:
A life of meaning is built intentionally, with the right priorities established early and guarded consistently.
This season, pause long enough and name your rocks.
Then ask yourself honestly:
Are they leading your life, or fighting for scraps of leftover time?
The sand will always try to take over. It moves fast and fills space quietly.
But priority remains a choice. So, place the right things first.
That choice is what shapes your soul.
