Have you had a hard time focusing? Are you easily distracted? Do you feel your life being pulled in many directions at the same time? You are not alone. Sure we have responsibilities that we cannot avoid. What kind of life is it when we have no peace, we are full of anxiety, fear, worry, and troubled by many things. We become short tempered, strife enters the room, we say things we wish we hadn’t and we long for an escape, a quiet place, to get away from it all.
Are we really accomplishing anything with all our business especially in todays culture? I think God wants us to be successful, productive, fruitful but at what cost. Our family, our health, our marriage? Wouldn’t it be great if life was much simpler. Is there balance? Is there an answer, a solution? Can we get things under control again?
I think we become our own worst enemy. We put ourselves under the pressure of urgency. “I have to and if I don’t who will?” We are bound by others expectation and what they want. We become more people pleasers than God pleasers. We’re afraid of rejection and the opinions of others. “What will they think of me?” We are so performance based. Every things rides on our performance or lack of it. We even carry this over into a relationship with God. If I do right God will love me, if I don’t do right He loves me less? I call this the daisy syndrome: ” He or she loves me, He or she loves me not.” Remember that when you were a kid pulling the petals of the daisy as you repeated that phrase? Hopefully you ended up on the right petal-“He or she loves me.” We can’t leave life to chance, we have to make the right choices.
Getting back to what’s important: Are we really in control of our lives? Well, we can’t control others but we can control ourselves. We can make the right choices, set boundaries for our lives. What we will accept and not accept. What will improve our lives with more peace, happiness, success and fulfilment. Our culture is very faced paced. Our goals and priorities are out of whack. Its all about what I can get out of life. How much I can consume. The great buffet, eat all you can and hope you don’t gain weight mentality. We compare ourselves in an unhealthy way with those around us. “I got to have what they have, I’ll die if I don’t.” Our value and worth is based on our performance, the expectations and thoughts of others. As believers in Christ we have a responsibility to show the world that there is a better way to live. Lets look and the information book on life, the owners manual-the Bible. Did you know God is smart?
Matthew 6:31-34 (PassionNTPsa)31“So then, forsake your worries! Why would you say, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’32 For that is what the unbelievers chase after. Doesn’t your heavenly Father already know the things your bodies require?33“So above all, constantly chase after the realm of God’s kingdom and the righteousness that proceeds from him. Then all these less important things will be given to you abundantly.34 Refuse to worry about tomorrow, but deal with each challenge that comes your way, one day at a time. Tomorrow will take care of itself.”
Matthew 11:28-30 (PassionNTPsa)28“Are you weary, carrying a heavy burden? Then come to me. I will refresh your life, for I am your oasis.29 Simply join your life with mine. Learn my ways and you’ll discover that I’m gentle, humble, easy to please. You will find refreshment and rest in me.30 For all that I require of you will be pleasant and easy to bear.”
Wow-great scriptures! I feel better already. My priorities were all wrong. I was seeking a self centered life. The universe doesn’t revolve around me. God cares about my life, my goals, my priorities and my needs. But I have to put Him first! That means not just going to Church on Sunday. Its an attitude that that you have in everyday life. You include and acknowledge Him in everything.
Proverbs 3:6 (PassionNTPsa)6Become intimate with him in whatever you do, and he will lead you wherever you go. Don’t think for a moment that you know it all,
There is a great story that Jesus shared in the New Testament about two women. Men you can learn something! Its the story about Mary and Martha, followers of Jesus. There lives were transformed by the Good News of the Gospel. Look at this story.
Luke 10:38-42 (PassionNTPsa)38As Jesus and the disciples continued on their journey, they came to a village where a woman welcomed Jesus into her home. Her name was Martha and she had a sister named Mary. Mary sat down attentively before the Master, absorbing every revelation he shared.
39 But Martha became exasperated by finishing the numerous household chores in preparation for her guests, so she interrupted Jesus and said, “Lord, don’t you think it’s unfair that my sister left me to do all the work by myself? You should tell her to get up and help me.”41The Lord answered her, “Martha, my beloved Martha. Why are you upset and troubled, pulled away by all these many distractions? Are they really that important? 42 Mary has discovered the one thing most important by choosing to sit at my feet. She is undistracted, and I won’t take this privilege from her.”
In the NKJV is says that: Luke 10:39 (NKJV)39 And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. Who was that other women? Martha sat at that feet of Jesus as well. Martha knowing people were coming, having to prepare got up and left Mary and Jesus. It doesn’t mean Mary wouldn’t eventually help Martha. I think Jesus wasn’t against work but was addressing an attitude. Jesus loved Martha and He knew guest were coming and things needed to be done. It wasn’t about Mary being lazy and neglectful. Martha lost here peace, her joy, being worried, and exasperated. Martha allowed herself to be pulled away mentally and physically by all the detractions. Maybe Martha needed an attitude adjustment. Jesus wasn’t saying what Martha had to do wasn’t important but she was being critical of Mary and strife was around the corner. “Come on Mary stop being so super spiritual and give me a hand.” “Get your nose out of the Bible and help me!” “Mary give Jesus a break, He is busy, now let Him alone and get over here and help me.” Wow! There is a balance between sitting at the feet of Jesus and work. What do we place a priority on? A strong devotional life leads to a more fruitful life! We thinks all Bible time is wasted time. “I need to get things done.” The reality is that in that devotional time we gain insight, wisdom, direction and supernatural help. Lets look at our final scripture:
Matthew 6:33 (NKJV)
33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
The passion translations says-“Chase after righteousness (The right way of doing things) and the kingdom of God.” Make Gods agenda your agenda. He promises He will take care all of your needs. Don’t allow life and its many distractions get you away from what’s really important. Living a self centered life is the source of all grief and strife! It only brings confusion, a lack of peace, disunity, contention, rivalry, selfishness and every evil practices. (James 3:15-17)
There is a better way: Put the love of God first. Love your wife and kids first, ok you don’t have either? well, love yourself, or the dog, the dishes can wait a little later. Keep the main dish the main dish! Life will be a lot easier and you will have more peace. Guard your heart against distractions. Be honest with yourself, take inventory and make the right choices! Talk to God about it. He is smart and he knows what you need and He will give you direction and wisdom, all the while you will grow closer to Him and to others. Living the American dream isn’t the best dream, living for God is!
1 Corinthians 15:9 (PassionNTPsa)-9 Yes, I am the most insignificant of all the apostles, unworthy even to be called an apostle, because I hunted down believers and persecuted God’s church. But God’s amazing grace has made me who I am! And his grace to me was not fruitless. In fact, I worked harder than all the rest, yet not in my own strength but God’s, for his empowering grace is poured out upon me.
The Apostle Paul had a life-giving relationship with God and in that relationship grace was imparted and a fruitful ministry (Life) came forth. It started at the feet of Jesus! Look at Paul’s attitude in Philippians.
Philippians 3:7-16 (PassionNTPsa)7Yet all of the accomplishments that I once took credit for, I’ve now forsaken them and I regard it all as nothing compared to the delight of experiencing Jesus Christ as my Lord! To truly know him meant letting go of everything from my past and throwing all my boasting on the garbage heap. It’s all like a pile of manure to me now, so that I may be enriched in the reality of knowing Jesus Christ and embrace him as Lord in all of his greatness. My passion is to be consumed with him and not clinging to my own “righteousness” based in keeping the written Law. My “righteousness” will be his, based on the faithfulness of Jesus Christ—the very righteousness that comes from God. And I continually long to know the wonders of Jesus more fully and to experience the overflowing power of his resurrection working in me. I will be one with him in his sufferings and I will be one with him in his death. Only then will I be able to experience complete oneness with him in his resurrection from the realm of death. I admit that I haven’t yet acquired the absolute fullness that I’m pursuing, but I run with passion into his abundance so that I may reach the purpose that Jesus Christ has called me to fulfill and wants me to discover. I don’t depend on my own strength to accomplish this; however I do have one compelling focus: I forget all of the past as I fasten my heart to the future instead. I run straight for the divine invitation of reaching the heavenly goal and gaining the victory-prize through the anointing of Jesus. So let all who are fully mature have this same passion, and if anyone is not yet gripped by these desires, God will reveal it to them. And let us all advance together to reach this victory-prize, following one path with one passion.
God bless always;
Brent and Linda