I used to be first. Not God. He was last.
The most significant difference Jesus has made in my life is to reorder my priorities.
Things that used to be urgent and important, even though they were noble, like providing for my family and becoming a better person, are less so.
I was trying to do all these noble things by myself and for myself. For my own aggrandizement, glory and pride. I thought I was responsible and accountable, but I was only egotistical.
EVERYTHING CHANGED when I understood and put into practice the two great commandments Jesus shared in Matthew 22:36-40.
“Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart.” “Love thy neighbor as thyself.”
Loving God with all my heart means to put him first. This created a state of constant appreciation for the gift that is my life. Before, I was so consumed with everything “wrong” in my life that I completely forgot that I even had a life to be upset about.
I took my life for granted.
When I recognized that God, who put the whole physical universe and my life into motion, had the power to reverse it at any time, I wised up.
Immediately, all my entitlement thoughts vanished. Who was I to think I deserve everything I say I do? Without God, I wouldn’t even have a brain to think those thoughts or a life to enjoy all the good things I thought I deserved.
Loving God with all my heart and putting him above all things keeps everything in perspective for me.
Distracted and chasing all the shiny things I thought would improve my unfulfilled life- good job, money in the bank, health, happy family and loving relationships, I completely ignored the one source from which all these things are created.
God.
And because I forgot the whole cosmos is under God’s providence, I fell into the trap of looking for security in the world. Seeking guidance from other human beings who were just as flawed and faulty as I, operating with incomplete knowledge, no matter how well-intentioned.
What was I thinking?
This humbled me to the core. My brain did a flip-flop. Once I got my head straight, loving neighbor as myself and loving my enemies became crystal clear.
I realized the people I condemned were in the same boat as me. They also thought they knew what they needed to live a good life and how to make it happen. Once I saw this, it became easier to forgive and have compassion for and even love them.
Now, I see that we are all clueless to some extent. Even the really “knowledgeable” ones. Why? Because none of us can ever really know the whole truth as God knows it. We have to humble ourselves and admit that we are limited.
But, according to Jesus, the good news is all I have to do is follow him and my yoke will be light and my burden easy. Put God first, love the poor souls who judge me and everything will fall into place much more peacefully.
Jesus put God first. It worked for him and I’m grateful to say it’s working for me, too.
The Radical Catholic 
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