I was totally ministered to and challenged by a friend this last weekend. Her 'one day at a time' mission challenged me, but in a great way.
I tend to be a compulsive list-maker. I set my day up 'for success' with my handy-dandy to-do list. And yes, I tend to get a ton more done on days I have a list than the days I skip the list. When I don't feel productive, I battle discouragement - so checking off a list fill my 'productivity tank'. I attribute these feelings to working non-stop up to the week I had my first son, where I went from a 'career woman' to a 'stay-at-home-mommy' overnight. (That's a whole other post...)
I set goals. I have monthly goals. Yearly goals. Financial goals, fitness goals, time w/ my kids goals, date night goals, the list goes on and on. Basically, anything positive that I want to do - I make it a goal, write it on a list & set out on my mission.
There are books on this stuff (I read them). There are websites that teach this (I've subscribed to them). But in all this goal-setting, list-making...some how I lose a bit of my peace, joy, and....sanity.
Back to ONE DAY AT A TIME....So a friend shared this one day at a time plan she has. A couple days later, I tried to plan out the rest of our lives (mine & Dave's) with my husband....'let's do this' and for the boys, 'let's do that'....and my husband's response: "Jen, you gotta take one day at a time".
Just yesterday, I declared: "I think God may be trying to tell me: Take life one day at a time"....And if you have the Jesus Calling devotional, you'll know that's exactly what today's entry was about.
Now that I think about it, I found myself in Matthew 6:34 the other day, where Jesus tells us: "So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself...."
This is challenging for me in that I cannot just fully abandon my lists and goals. I believe in the scripture that teaches 'we are slaves to our debtors', so I feel it is God's will to me and my husband to live on a budget and have a plan to rapidly pay off debt. God calls us to be good stewards of our finances so I can't toss my budget spreadsheet out the window. College for my boys, retirement for my husband is a reality in our future...by planning now and saving now for it, retiring with enough to live on will be a possibility. I just feel convicted that this is what me and my husband are to do.
However, I realize that I have to really trust God more with the minor things I have listed out daily to do.
The one drawback I experience from my list-making is...when I don't get everything done on the list - I feel overwhelmed & discouraged. This is when I know I'm not aiming to please God, but 'my lists' are lord over my day, not Jesus.
In recent months, I have cut my lists in half...I wasn't leaving time for my kids...which is why I am at home. And I am learning to put down on paper what really, really needs to be done like: pay bills, order prescription, dr. appt., etc. Things that are a MUST GET DONE TODAY OR ELSE are the things that make it to the list.
If you go up to Matthew 6:33 - you get the practical application how-to for this 'not worrying thing' (which, we're not to serve the 'worry-god'). We get rid of the worry, the micro-managing lists by: SEEKING FIRST HIS KINGDOM AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS!
Again, (like my post on joy the other day), we will find what we need (direction for our day) by getting in God's presence by seeking Him...first thing in the morning. Seeking Him first before setting goals. Seeking Him first before we commit time to people and things. Seeking Him first re: our future. I don't need to worry, micro-manage, control everything when He's first. He will lead and direct, I just need to trust He will do that.
See, if He holds the keys to our future, we can't get there without Him anyways...so why do we make our lists, make our plans, fill our calendars withOUT spending time w/ Jesus to see what He guides us to do?
My friend said that right now, her goal is to: Wake up on time in the morning! I loved that...because for me, that translates: If I wake up on time, I will get my time with the Lord to see how my day will go.
My personal challenge is to be Spirit-led w/ my time and follow what God puts on my heart. If He says, 'stop mopping and read to your boys' - I need to do it. If He says, get out of your email box and call your husband and tell him you love him....I need to do that. If He says, take your boys to the park, who cares if you're breakfast dishes are in the sink - I need to go.
I have to put God first and He will direct my day to support my priorities, which are my family, my home, and ministry. I have to trust that He will guide me and my time to take care of the true needs. "ALL THIS WILL BE ADDED TO ME" - when I set myself before Him.
God is good. The Bible is true. Do things God's way & get God's results!
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