Living the Dash

The other day, I was reading in the book of Matthew and nearly clutched my pearls… and not in the dramatic, “Bless your heart” kind of way. Jesus says not to throw your pearls before pigs. And I thought, well, now… that’ll preach.

Because if you’ve ever watched a pig, you know good and well it doesn’t care one bit about a pearl necklace. You could toss it diamonds, heirlooms, or the crown jewels, and it would still be snout-deep in the mud looking for scraps. It’s not that the pearl isn’t valuable… it’s that the pig doesn’t recognize it.

And that’ll make you sit up a little straighter. It got me thinking about my own pearls… and my priorities.

What Are the Pearls?

Jesus wasn’t giving fashion advice. He was talking about what’s precious. Pearls are rare. Costly. Formed slowly. They’re created through irritation, pressure, and patience. In other words? Pearls are born from the very things that tried to bother you.

Sound familiar?

Your pearls might be:
* Your energy – especially when you’re already running on fumes and sweet tea.
* Your time – those hours you can’t get back.
* Your creativity – the things you make, write, build, dream.
* Your wisdom – hard-earned lessons learned in valleys you never signed up for.
* Your kindness – that soft heart you sometimes wish was a little tougher.
* Your calling – what God specifically asked you to carry, not the thing guilt guilted you into.

Some of us are out here handing out pearls like Mardi Gras beads, wondering why we feel spiritually dehydrated and emotionally broke down on the side of the road. Not because we don’t love people. But because we forgot pearls are expensive.

Now Let’s Talk About the Pigs

And before anybody gets defensive – this isn’t about labeling people as swine and stomping off in self-righteousness. Jesus wasn’t giving us permission to be ugly. He was giving us permission to be wise.

Sometimes “pigs” are people who:
* Don’t appreciate what you bring.
* Consistently take but never give.
* Step over your boundaries like they’re chalk lines.
* Mock your faith or minimize your calling.

But sometimes pigs aren’t people at all.

Sometimes pigs are:
* Overcommitment.
* People-pleasing.
* Busyness that keeps you from your family.
* Scrolling instead of praying.
* Saying yes when God clearly whispered no.

Anything that consumes your treasure without recognizing its value… that’s a pig pen.

And here’s the hard truth: pigs don’t turn into pearl collectors just because you try harder. You can’t make someone value what they’ve already decided to trample. No amount of explaining, over-serving, over-giving, or over-extending will suddenly make mud feel like marble.

So What About Priorities?

The goal isn’t to lock your pearls in a safe and never give again. We’re not called to become guarded and hardened. We’re called to become discerning. There is a difference. Priorities are where your pearls are intended to go.

Your marriage. Your children. Your close friendships. Your church. The work God actually assigned you (not the work guilt assigned you). The quiet obedience no one claps for.

When your priorities are clear, your pearls are placed with purpose. You don’t stop being generous… You just stop being careless.

Start asking yourself:
* Does this deserve my energy?
* Is this mine to carry?
* Is this fruitful… or just loud?
* Am I sowing into good soil or mud?

Because here’s the truth – pearls were never meant for pigpens. They were meant for crowns. And friend, you are not called to exhaust yourself proving your worth to pigs. You are called to steward what God entrusted to you.

So unclench your jaw.
Adjust your crown.
Gather your pearls.

And place them where they’ll be honored.