I want you to consider for a moment, for who or for what do you put in most of your time and energy.  What do you most seek to obtain or to hold onto?

Life, wealth, family, learning, security, a hobby?

Now, out of all those things, what is actually the most important thing, the one thing we all must prioritize above all?  And there is an objective correct answer to this.

That pearl of greatest price is the Heart of Jesus.  His love, his goodness, his guidance, to be completely united with Him.  If you choose to hold onto your life without Christ, you eventually lose it.  If you seek to hold onto riches without Christ, you eventually lose it.  But by giving your priority to Christ above all others things, you will be united with the one who will restore and make all things new for eternity, including life, riches, peace and joyful fulfillment.

But how is this done?  Unless we live as monks or hermits, it seems impossible.  Family, health, security; these are important things, good things.  How do you prioritize it all?  How do we maintain all this while still putting God first?  This is where wisdom and prudence come in.  These virtues and gifts help us to determine not only what is important, but how to best go about receiving them.

Solomon, as a young king, knew what he needed most was to rule his people well, to be able to properly judge what is right and wrong.  Life, wealth, destruction of enemies are nice, but they weren’t the most important.  He could have all those things, but if he was a bad ruler, if the people he was responsible for did not live well, it would be all for naught.  He knew what was important, he knew what he needed.  So, he did the wise thing and asked God for it.  He turned to the Lord in whom he could trust, whom could provide and give the answer and guidance he needed.

Bring your concerns to God, and he will guide you to the answer, he will help you to properly prioritize what is most important and needed in life.  You will still make time for family, work, relaxation, hobbies and the rest, but not at the expense of your relationship with God.  God knows what is best for you personally, so be prudent in seeking out God and listening to what he says.

And for this to work, you first must make God a daily part of your everyday life.  If you make time for family, hobbies, relaxation, work, but then say you had no time for prayer and time with God, then your priorities are wrong.  Prayer with God must always be a part of that.  And if you aren’t sure how to best do that, bring that to prayer, and God will guide you.

The person who found the treasure and pearl of great price made sure they could obtain it.  The person who caught fish made sure to remove the bad ones in order to have nothing but was what good.  Because the Kingdom of Heaven is about ensuring that you obtain what is best in the world, and what is best in the world is the eternal love and glory that is found only through your relationship with Jesus Christ.  If you wish to be wise and prudent in living life, and obtaining eternal life, then always to God, and he will give you the wisdom and prudence to do so.