Time to Change the World

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!