Tick tock, tick tock...

Photo credit: sweetestdarkness.tumblr.com

We all have seasons in our lives where we feel like we are just not getting everything done that we want to do and that there are just not enough hours in a day. We can often be our own worst enemy in this regard by pushing ourselves to take on more and more, biting off more than we can chew.

I particularly remember that I had one of these moments about 4 years ago. I was racing from work to my cell group and it was just a busy day and week and I was thinking something in the line of "why can't there be 48hrs in a day?!" and God replied: "if I gave you 48hours in a day, then you would be rushing 48hrs a day. I gave you exactly enough time to do everything that I have given you to do."

His answer was very simple, but really made me think and has had a lasting effect on my everyday life. I considered this: "What am I filling my day with. What do I know He has asked me to do and what not?" I think that we sometimes so easily say “yes” to things or even feel obligated to do things, even good things like exercise, helping people out and serving. We end up spreading ourselves so thinly over everything, that we can't give our all in anything.

Not even Jesus said “yes” to everything. He knew what His purpose was and He kept His focus on that. I'm sure that there were towns where people wanted Him to stay longer, preach longer or wait for more people to arrive who needs healing, but Jesus knew that He needed to go to Jerusalem, die on the cross before Passover and rise again in order that all of us can have the power in us to preach and heal and so be even more effective than He could be on His own. Imagine the effect on the world if Jesus had to miss His purpose, because He was too busy and felt too guilty to say "no".

Jesus saw the bigger picture, He got perspective from God and He could say “no” without feeling guilty or condemned and “yes” to the things which God called Him to. Ask God today what He has planned for you and what you need to spend your focus, time and energy on in a day. Trust His guidance and He will give you the strength to do everything that you need to do with joy and peace.

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Phil 4:4-7

“And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?” Matt 6:27