“Put first things first” is a sensible self-help slogan that urges us to prioritize important things. It, however, leaves unanswered some key questions: What things are important? And on what basis are they deemed important? Is that basis subjective – some things are important to one person, others to another person?
Different people consider different things important because they have different psychophysical natures. Yet beyond our dissimilarities, we are at our core similar: all of us are souls, parts of Krishna. We can find lasting happiness only in spiritual love for him. Without attaining that love or at least progressing towards it, our lives go in vain, no matter what else we achieve. Our other achievements can neither grant us lasting fulfillment nor save us from the miserable cycle of birth and death. Learning to love Krishna therefore is the universal first thing for everyone.
Learning to love Krishna is the universal first thing for everyone.
If cultivating devotion for Krishna is so important, why do we often neglect it?
Because we put things first. That is, we become so obsessed with material things that it strips away our freedom to nourish our spiritual side. Pertinently, the Bhagavad-gita (02.44 cautions that excessive attachment to material pleasures and treasures undermines our spiritual determination.
How can we stop putting things first?
We may not be able to break free from our attachments immediately, but we can still prevent them from destroying our spiritual prospects. Whenever we have the opportunity to fix the mind on Krishna and engage in his service, we can tap that opportunity to the best of our capacity. That contact with Krishna will purify us, gradually giving us the inner strength to resist and reject distracting attachments. Then we can increasingly relish uninterrupted the sweetness of devotion, deepen our determination and march undistracted towards Krishna.
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