Busy, busy, busy!

Today I was thinking of everything that I need to do tonight. I was thinking of maybe making a list and then also deciding how much work I should do tonight. This keeps my mind super busy. I keep thinking of this and that, this and that and which task is more important etc. I think I feel tired of just thinking of all the things I need to do!

While I was driving I reminded myself that I actually don't NEED to do all the things, I actually just WANT to do all the things. In the process of thinking, I get drained even before I start and then I feel less motivated to start everything which I didn't need to do, but wanted to do in the first place! Ha ha it's actually quite funny how easily we can overload ourselves in our minds without even doing a single thing!

Also while I was driving I spoke to God about all the things I "need" to do and asked Him to help me. Then I realised that I haven't even asked Him what HE wants me to do tonight? In actual fact I'm just placing pressure on myself. So blind! :) So during the rest of my journey home I decided to chat with Him about what He wants me to do and I immediately felt less pressured and more motivated to do the things He highlighted.

I guess when the Bible says: "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.", it doesn't mean that I should do everything I want to do (and more) and then expect Him to tag along and give me strength while I burn myself out. :)

So yes, tonight has been quite relaxing actually, although I've been quite productive with Him. Being relaxed and at peace is a state of mind and is not dependent on the circumstances around you, even if you are super busy. Rather be busy with the things God wants you to do and His peace will be in your hearts and you will be relaxed. He knows which responsibilities you have with regards to work, family, friends etc. and He will lead you to finish all you need to do in His perfect timing. People often don't understand when I say that I'm relaxed at work (because my job is very demanding), but being in a relaxed and peaceful state with God keeps me focussed, friendly and calm through all the stressful situations. 

I have often heard people say that BUSY is short for Being Under Satan’s Yoke. Satan tries to keep us so busy that we burnout and lose all our peace and joy. He convinces us in our minds that everything is critical and that everything needs to be done NOW! I know that sometimes something needs to be treated as urgent and I have spent many nights at work working on deadlines, but in each one of those times God was with me and I did it with joy. I was even able to motivate and inspire others working with me. God has a plan all day and every day and He can even make a late night at work a blessed time. Be aware of Satan’s schemes, your time with God is the first thing which he wants to destroy. Ask that God will show you clearly which tasks to do first and ask Him to show you how to do everything to His glory with peace, love and joy.

What have you said yes to?

Photo credit: favim

There’s a line in a Jason Upton song, In the beginning Part 2, which just captivated me one day. It says: “Deliver us from the temptations of what we can do, that have trapped us in the bondage of the system of this world.” This line is just incredible, as I understand it, just because we CAN do something doesn’t mean that we SHOULD do it.

“"Everything is permissible"--but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible"--but not everything is constructive.” 1 Cor 10:23

 ““All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be enslaved by anything.” 1 Cor 6:12

Paul is saying to the Corinthians that just because all things are permissible, not all things are helpful and uplifting. He mentions that he will not be enslaved to anything. Just because something is permissible, doesn't mean that it is beneficial for our bodies, emotions and spirits. This statement is quite general and hard to confine to a short blog, so I’ll just highlight two things which it immediately speaks to me about.

Firstly, God has called us for a purpose. Certain things we will have to say yes to and certain things we will have to say no to. We cannot do it all, because doing it all will eventually lead to spreading ourselves too thinly and not serving wholeheartedly as God calls us to. We will also end up feeling drained and demotivated. The things that we will have to say no to can be good things, godly things, but things which God has not asked us to do at this moment in time. Or the things that we have to say no to can just be ordinary things, but things that can steal or distract us from what God is asking us to do and these things will always leave us in a place of feeling more drained after we started than before.

You will have to identify for yourself what this can be in your life, there is no list, no set of rules. It can be that God wants you to help a friend or simply rest, but then you feel obligated to be involved in a fundraiser which takes up your whole day. Fundraising is not a bad thing, but it’s not helpful if God has another plan for you or if He knows that you need rest. The same thing with watching television, one day it is fine to watch television for hours, another day it drains you and steals you away from something amazing which God could have shown you that day.

Secondly, we should never become enslaved to anything. To me this means that I should not make anything else more important than God. I should not be enslaved by work, sports, recreational activities or even the opinions of others.  The list is very long and this will be different for every individual, we all know where our weaknesses lie and which things distract us from God.

The point is that when we focus our attention on God, we won’t be so affected by the world and their views and expectations. We won’t feel condemned for not doing something, if God did not ask us to, even if other people don’t see it the way that we do. We need to learn to live life free from the expectations of other. Yes, we will make commitments, have responsibilities and respect others, but we do not need to be conformed to what other people expect us to be.

We need to walk in step with God, so that we always know when to say yes and when to say no. What God asks from every person will be different and there is no set pattern and you cannot ask or look at a friend. It is between you and God and only you will know what is helpful in your life and what is not. You will have to be honest with yourself and maybe even let go of some things which you enjoy. But be certain that the fruit that we reap from walking with God will always outweigh any other benefit that we thought we might have had. In this way we will always be effective in love without becoming drained or discouraged and we will live the life of abundance and joy that God has for us.

“If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.” Gal 5:25

Tick tock, tick tock...

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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