Have you ever felt like something was slightly off in your life, even when everything appeared fine on the surface? That sense of being uncentered, like climbing a ladder that's just slightly uneven - you can still function, but nothing feels quite secure.

This feeling often creeps into our daily rhythms without us noticing. We wake up already mentally busy, grabbing our phones before our feet hit the floor. Work never really stops, with emails arriving late at night and expectations spilling into evenings and weekends. Family life feels full but thin, with rushed conversations and shorter patience. Even spiritually, what was once central becomes optional, and steady practices become sporadic.

Why Do We Feel Off-Center?
When life feels misaligned, the question isn't "What did I do wrong?" but rather "What has my heart right now?" Jesus addresses this directly when He says, "Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

This isn't about condemning our desires or shaming us for caring about life. Instead, Jesus reveals a fundamental truth about how our hearts actually work.

What Catches Our Hearts?
Nobody drifts without being pulled. Hearts don't wander on their own - they follow whatever promises security and satisfaction. Something catches our attention, then our affection, and eventually our trust.

Jesus warns us not to store up treasures on earth, "where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal." He's not saying earthly things are evil, but that they're fragile. When our hearts attach to fragile things, our inner lives become fragile too.

How Hooks Work

Every hook promises to meet a basic human need:

• Productivity hooks us because it promises significance
• Money hooks us because it promises security
• Approval hooks us because it promises acceptance
• Control hooks us because it promises direction
• Comfort hooks us because it promises nurture

These needs aren't wrong - they make us human. But when we attach God-sized needs to fragile things, our hearts get pulled off-center.

How Hearts Are Actually Trained
Most of us assume our hearts lead our treasure - we feel something first, then give ourselves to it. But Jesus reveals it works the opposite way: "Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

Your heart doesn't follow your feelings; it follows your treasure. Your heart is being trained by your time, money, and attention. Whatever you constantly give yourself to teaches your heart what really matters.

The Power of Repeated Devotion
Hearts don't move because of one big decision. They move because of repeated devotion - small choices made over time that quietly shape direction. What you feed starts talking, asking, and eventually directing you.

This is why Jesus doesn't warn us about loving the wrong things, but about feeding the wrong things. Hearts change one feeding at a time.

What's Really Shaping You?
You don't need a spiritual gift to know what's in your heart - you can follow the trail:

• Where does your time naturally go when no one is forcing you?
• What gets your best energy?
• What do you reach for first in free moments?
• What do you protect when things feel tight?

Most people don't lose their faith because they reject God. They lose ground because they've been feeding everything else more than their faith - usually out of habit, not rebellion.

The Power of Turning
Once you see what's been shaping you, you're left with a decision. This isn't about dramatic change but directional change. Direction always decides more than intention.
Jesus began His ministry with a simple invitation: "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near." Repentance isn't about feeling worse - it's about turning because something better is within reach.

For some, this turn means beginning a relationship with Jesus Christ - admitting you're a sinner and believing He can save you from your sins.

For others already following Jesus, repentance means re-centering - turning back toward what brings life when your heart has been pulled off-center by life's loudness.

This week, instead of trying to fix everything at once, focus on one directional decision. Ask yourself: What is one thing you need to stop feeding right now? What one small turn could change the direction of your life?
Don't try to overhaul everything - just turn the wheel a little. Even a small turn changes where you'll end up.

Questions for Reflection:

• If someone followed your time, money, and attention for the last month, where would they say your life is headed?
• What has been hooking your heart lately, and what need is it promising to meet?
• What one thing do you need to stop feeding this week to re-center your heart on Jesus?
• How can you begin turning toward what you know brings life?

Remember, repentance isn't punishment or shame - it's choosing a new direction in response to God's grace. Jesus doesn't ask you to drag your heart back into place by force. He simply invites you to turn to Him and allow Him to change your heart.