Luke 17:33

"Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it."
Luke 17:33


I think this is interesting... when we put our lives first, as a priority over all else, then we lose the very essence of what we are trying to save.  There are things that are more important than our lives... and when we recognize that, then losing our lives in the service of God is actually a way to preserve them eternally.  Sincerely, I think it comes down to priorities.  What matters to each of us most... more than anything else?  and when we can truthfully say that it is God, then we have gained some serious wisdom, and we know God well enough to know that when we put him first, then everything works... and when we don't, we are stuck in a balancing act, and it impossible to keep from dropping some of the things that are most important to us.
Of course, putting God first doesn't necessarily mean that we won't be dropping anything.  Sometimes things need to be out of our lives...  or radically altered... but everything healthy and good for us can stay. :)  I know, I know... it isn't always the healthy things that we want.  That moldy donut starts looking pretty good sometimes... especially when you are down on yourself and don't think you deserve anything better... but trust me... actually, trust God.  He knows what will help you in the end... and moldy donuts have this horrific aftertaste... really, I've eaten enough of them to know.