slave?

So last weekend I did work weekend up at TWL and the speaker in club said something that I found interesting I guess. Made me think at least. They were talking about how we as people fill ourselves with "things" / define ourselves by them - things like friends, family, body image (exercise or eating right), image (how you want others to see you), good grades, a job, living the "perfect" life, a ministry you do, or even your relationship with/ knowledge of God. Striving basically. There was more, but those give a good display. Basically none of these things are actually bad things to do, they are all things the world/ those around you might even suggest you do. These could even be things we are told to do when we are struggling through life. They made the quote though, "its when a good thing becomes your everything. then you are a slave". This really caught my attention. Yes its simple, but I felt like it just caught me. Its not about what you do its the motives behind it, its the amount you do it. Why? why am I doing what I'm doing, for whose glory.. and to what purpose.  humm,  if this is off base than doing the right thing can become wrong. I know it sounds simple and of course I've heard it before even thought about it, but I liked the way they said it. 

See I've found in my life that good things can easily become everything. Its hard for them not to sometimes. At points it was an image - athletic or a need to be fit. Or it was friends/ being known for being a quality friend. having things put together in my life. being a good student. and eventually.. well YL honestly. especially the more I had to step up and the more it consumed my life. it started to become everything. I kept telling myself it was ok cause it was a good thing.. so I guess when they said that this weekend I was like "yeah... it can't be everything Colleen.. you can't be everything" that's why it was the way it was towards the end.    what good is it anyways. if I do all I can yet miss out and lack the one thing I really need - God.  

There is no one that wants to be a slave and yet people daily enslave themselves. Why? who knows. we think its good - and don't know when to much of a good thing is becoming bad I guess. So I've been thinking about this a lot. About good things, about grace and the free gift I don't need to work for. About how to do good things and keep them just that. Good things. Its a lesson I have learned over and over in many areas, but I'm still open to learning more and thinking more about it. so that's what I'm doing I guess.