Are you
using your time to change the world or is it changing you? We all want to make a difference; to know
that what we do is important. Sometimes
we spend so much time trying to be significant that we lose track of what really
matters. We become defined by our
schedules and plans. Craziness and business become habit and routine. And
suddenly, we find our lives out of control.
Even though our days may be filled to overflowing, we find ourselves
feeling empty and disappointed.
So let
me ask: Are you caught in the cycle of chaos and the sin of business because
you haven’t stopped
to think maybe this isn’t God’s
plan for you and your time?
God did not
make us to live the way the world lives.
We are each created as individuals with unique gifts and talents.
For
we are God’s
handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in
advance for us to do.
~Ephesians 2:10 says
God expects us to use our time on the talents
HE has chosen specifically for us.
Here are
some things to think about:
Do your heart and soul, the essence of who you really are, show through in what you do?
Are your days full of things you really don’t want to be doing?
Is your schedule is controlling you or are you controlling
your schedule?
Are you so busy trying to “get it all done” that you don’t get any of it done. (Here’s
a little secret…you will
NEVER get it all done! There will always be something more to do.)
Our kids,
homes, families, churches and communities will benefit from us slowing down and
doing specifically what God has called us and us alone to do. When your heart and calendar become available
to God, you will begin to focus on the things that will have the greatest
impact. Mother Teresa said, “I alone cannot
change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many
ripples.”
Do you
even have time to cast your stone?
Do you know
what your calling is? If you have a hard time saying “no”
chances are you don’t know what
God wants you to be doing. You have to learn that it’s
okay to say no. And you have to learn to
say no to the things that are not yours to carry right now. These may very well be things you want to do.
And these are probably good things. But are they the things God wants you to
do? Remember, just because God isn’t
calling you to it now, doesn’t mean HE never will. Learn to focus on the season you are living in now and the plan God
has for you at this time.
There is a time for everything, and
a season for every activity under the heavens.
~Ecclesiastes
3:1
Are you
worn out from the business? Do you ever feel inadequate at what you do, no
matter how hard you try to make it a success? I know I’ve
certainly been there!
Friends, we can’t
do anything well when we try to do everything.
Think about 1 Corinthians 10:31
So
whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.
If your running around trying to do everything, are you doing it to glorify
God? Probably not. When you honor God with what you do, when you glorify God
with your time, your purpose becomes clear.
And when God has called you to something, He will equip you with all you
need to succeed. The exhaustion and feelings of incompetence will disappear.
So, how do
you discover what God is calling you
to do:
First, analyze your gifts. What talents has God given you? Don’t consider anything to be insignificant. God can and will do things far beyond
anything you can imagine. Don't limit His ability to do something amazing
through you.
Also, you must take control of your schedule. This will mean some
adjustment. This will mean saying no. And remember if you are doing a task God
did not call you to, you may be
preventing someone else from doing what God has
called them to do.
And most of all, listen to God for directions. There is only one way to hear His voice. You must get into HIS word and wait for HIM to speak. He will answer, but you have to slow down and listen.
Find your
passion. Find your calling. Follow God’s
leading and see what great and mighty things He will do.
If you’re
serious about changing the world, you’re
going to have to start by making time for yourself. Sometimes ladies, you just need to take a
break. As Pricilla Shirer says in her
book, The Resolution, “it’s
not a break from your life; it’s
a break for your life”.
Let that sink in…a break for
your life.
It’s
not selfish.
It’s not
unimportant.
It’s not
something you should feel guilty about.
If you’re
not taking care of you, how can you take care of the world around you? How are
you going to be available to God? How are you going to be able to change the
world?
Take time to breathe.
Girlfriends, even Jesus took time to rest!
What simple
pleasure would rejuvenate you? A walk on the beach, a bubble bath, a cup of
coffee and a good book, a pedicure, a jog, a nap…
Get
creative. It’s
doesn’t have to be expensive or
elaborate. But it does have to be about you and you alone. And it does have to
be done on a regular basis. When you do
that, it will begin to change your world, then the world of your family, your
co-workers, your church, your community. It's a ripple effect.
When you
honor God with your time,
when you become intentional with your time,
when you
use your time on your calling,
when you create “me”
time...
YOU WILL BEGIN TO CHANGE THE WORLD!
