Packed schedule. Stressed. Overwhelmed.I am an expert when it comes to being too busy. It is one of those things that I must constantly monitor in my life. The things is . . . busyness is applauded in our culture . . . so there are not too many people that applaud a busy person that says “no.” It is almost like the “no” is a personal offense. Over the years, I have had to learn that God has specific things for me to do and when I stray from those things and become overdone, it is not God’s doing but my own.
The people around me, those who I count on to walk through life with, will tell you that I have come a long way from trying to make everybody happy to not caring if someone is unhappy when my “no” has been God-directed. Of course, there are seasons that are more busy than others, we just need to be smarter during those times so we don’t fall into the trap of living a stressed and overwhelmed life. But. We need to determine what is making us so busy.
There is no point to be running from one thing to the other, if, there is no point to what we are doing.It seems to me, that those of us that “have” in this world often feel overwhelmed and stressed; however, the stress comes from being consumed with the stuff we have rather than from doing what really matters. The combined statistics of the average American's time spent watching t.v. and being online, which includes social networking and games, is more than a full time job, and is on the increase every year. (You can check the statistics out through places like the labor department, the Nielson Company, and search engines like Yahoo). I can’t imagine looking back on my life and find that a good portion was spent watching t.v. or being online or consumed with other stuff that holds little value. None of us want to waste our time.
I need to take in account what is said in James:
Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that” (James 4:13-15, TNIV).James said it. Life is short. What we do with the time we are given matters. God has a plan for what we do with our time. The Spirit of God will direct us and empower us to do what matters. But. When all is said and done, what we do with the time we have is a choice.
Refuse to do the things that have no point.
Just say a simple, ‘Yes, I will,’ or ‘No, I won’t.’ Anything beyond this is from the evil one. (Matthew 5:37, NLT)Seek what God has planned for you.
(For I know the plans I have for you. Jeremiah 29: 11a)Go where God directs you to go. He will provide a way. And, as you go, God will do something new in your life.
Behold, I will do something new, Now it will spring forth; Will you not be aware of it? I will even make a roadway in the wilderness, Rivers in the desert. (Isaiah 43, NASB)Do what God has for you to do through the power of the Spirit.
Not by might, not by power, but by my Spirit. (Zechariah 4:6)Learning to Kickstart the day refusing to do the things that have no point,
(written by Kerrie Carlisle Palmer © 2011 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED)