December can be beautiful. After all, we are celebrating the birth of Jesus, our Savior, Redeemer and coming King. December can also be exhausting. There are the normal activities of life with heaps of extra upon it...Christmas concerts, Christmas parties, Christmas baking, Christmas shopping, and Christmas decorating, to name a few.
These past two weeks I have had to daily remind myself of something I have encouraged the kids to "live by" for many years. It's been a simple but needed help to keep me on track and not feeling overwhelmed. Of course, God's sustaining daily grace through His Word and His Spirit are my ultimate source of peace and joy...but this has benefited me greatly, too!
Do what you must do. Do what you should do. Then do what you want to do.
Yep...it's that simple.
First, the evening before, write out the things that MUST get done for the next day: the things that are non-negotiable. Under those things, make another list of the things you would like to get done...they are not urgent for the coming day, but they are helpful for life to run smoothly, or they will be something that becomes a "must"in the coming days if not done soon. Then, if you want to write out the things you want to do...go for it! I don't find myself actually needing to do that, because my "want" will often change depending on the day, my mood, or the moment at hand. I'm pretty good at "wanting"...so, for me, there is no need to write that down. ;)
Now, here is the key...wake up in the morning, feed your soul in God's Word, and then pray for self-control and discipline from the Lord to do what is on your list. Then...start working! And make sure you cross things off as you go. It's an amazing feeling to put a line through words that seemed so daunting just the day before! And it's amazing how much you can actually accomplish once you have a plan in place and a goal in mind!
In closing, that does not mean that there will never be interruptions to your plans...moments of ministry that feel more like moments of inconvenience. Just be wise to knowing when YOU are creating your own distractions, and when truly those interruptions are coming from those around you...those in need of you. The former needs to be repented of and the later needs to be embraced. Elisabeth Elliot said it well:
“We do not tolerate interruptions. We want to finish our work according to schedule. … Do we stop for a minute to give our full attention to the interruption? Have we ever considered what our habitual response says to our interrupters? Are we giving the signal that our selfish activity is more important than the interrupter? … In my selfish desire to do things my way, I may not realize that interruptions could be God’s way of getting my attention to do His will and not my will. My will is to complete my work for my organization on schedule or to enjoy myself in my activities. His will could be He wants me to develop patience, tolerance … If only we can be helped to see that the trifling things we are interrupted to do are our work for God—then we may be less prone to impatience and anger."
May the Lord encourage your heart as you seek to walk wisely at Christmastime and always!
These past two weeks I have had to daily remind myself of something I have encouraged the kids to "live by" for many years. It's been a simple but needed help to keep me on track and not feeling overwhelmed. Of course, God's sustaining daily grace through His Word and His Spirit are my ultimate source of peace and joy...but this has benefited me greatly, too!
Do what you must do. Do what you should do. Then do what you want to do.
Yep...it's that simple.
Now, here is the key...wake up in the morning, feed your soul in God's Word, and then pray for self-control and discipline from the Lord to do what is on your list. Then...start working! And make sure you cross things off as you go. It's an amazing feeling to put a line through words that seemed so daunting just the day before! And it's amazing how much you can actually accomplish once you have a plan in place and a goal in mind!
In closing, that does not mean that there will never be interruptions to your plans...moments of ministry that feel more like moments of inconvenience. Just be wise to knowing when YOU are creating your own distractions, and when truly those interruptions are coming from those around you...those in need of you. The former needs to be repented of and the later needs to be embraced. Elisabeth Elliot said it well:
“We do not tolerate interruptions. We want to finish our work according to schedule. … Do we stop for a minute to give our full attention to the interruption? Have we ever considered what our habitual response says to our interrupters? Are we giving the signal that our selfish activity is more important than the interrupter? … In my selfish desire to do things my way, I may not realize that interruptions could be God’s way of getting my attention to do His will and not my will. My will is to complete my work for my organization on schedule or to enjoy myself in my activities. His will could be He wants me to develop patience, tolerance … If only we can be helped to see that the trifling things we are interrupted to do are our work for God—then we may be less prone to impatience and anger."
May the Lord encourage your heart as you seek to walk wisely at Christmastime and always!
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