Lifted Vision Ministry

Are you low on energy today? Do you feel like you have too many things to do and too little time in the day to do it? Does your time seem to escape you sometimes? Yeah, me too…

However, is that really God’s design for us? Are we really effective for Christ’s Kingdom if we are exhausted, overbooked and hanging on by a thread?

Today, I want to venture into how to combat a busy lifestyle with biblical truth. How can we accomplish what God wants us to do and still be able to have time for everything else?

“Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is” – Ephesians 5:15-17

God wants us to ponder the path that our feet walk throughout the day. We need to understand the Lord’s will first, then through His wisdom, make the most of every opportunity that He presents to us. How many activities do you schedule throughout your day that are not in God’s will? Could these extra work obligations be causing you unnecessary stress?

Although God expects us to work (2 Thessalonians 3:10-11), as Christians filled with the Holy Spirit, we are not working as the world works. We are called to work unto the Lord.

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving” – Colossians 3: 23-24

So, if we are working for the Lord and we still feel exhausted in our day to day life, what should we do?! Well, even Jesus said we should take everything one day at a time.

“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble” – Matthew 6:34

Only concern yourself with the tasks at hand. God doesn’t want us weighed down with worry, especially about things that haven’t even happened yet. That will distract us from the tasks He is calling us to do today. This is Satan’s plan for our life. To distract us with worry, doubt and fear. God wants the opposite plan for our life!

Another thing that we should do is plan peaceful encounters with God throughout our day, as stated in Proverbs.

“Deceit is in the heart of those who devise evil, but those who plan peace have joy” – Proverbs 12:20

How can we plan peace? Can we really plan to experience peace? YES! The answer is YES! Who is the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6)? All we have to do to plan peace, is to plan time to daily spend with God. One way to do that is to read the Word of God (your bible).

Think of it like this… Baseball is a sport where players go up to bat, run around bases and end up back at home base. When they reach home base, they are then allowed to rest in the dugout. The concept of baseball is sort of like our day to day lives. Running around the bases is similar to the running around from task to task that we do every day. The Word of God is similar to the dugout or place of rest for players. To be truly effective in our day to day lives, we should begin our day in the dugout and end our day in the dugout (the Word of God) just as baseball players do during a game. However, should we only read the Word of God in the beginning of our day and at the end of our day?

Sometimes, when baseball players reach a certain base, they get “out” and have to return to the dugout early. We should also do this with the Word of God. Amidst our daily activities we should take moments to return to the Word of God throughout our day. This is how we rest, recharge and get ready for our next time up to “bat.”

Think about it… if the players never went to the dugout to rest, how effective would they be on the field? They would get worn out, their strength would waver and they wouldn’t be as effective. That is also how we are without reading the Word of God each day.

There is nothing that can replace the rest that God can provide. No amount of watching tv, doing yoga, golfing or listening to music can replace or compare to the peace that God gives us since His peace surpasses all earthly understanding (unlike earthly things and activities)(Philippians 4:7). Spending time in God’s Word should be the most irreplaceable part of your day in your search for planning peace.

“Commit your work to the LORD, and your plans will be established.” – Proverbs 16:3

If we work unto the Lord, our life plans will be unalterably fixed and settled. It’s a promise! When we work for God and plan moments to connect with Him and His Word throughout our day- we can do anything!

“So I saw that there is nothing better for a person than to enjoy their work, because that is their lot.“ – Ecclesiastes 3:22

Doing God’s work is always enjoyable since it comes from a Heavenly place! There is a spiritual component to working for the Lord. Work and spirituality are not two separate things to God. He does not expect us to work or do something without His Holy Spirit. They should be combined, such as everything we do in life should be combined with the Holy Spirit.

“Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation” – Philippians 2:14-15

Let us all try to no longer complain or grumble about the work the Lord provides us with or wants us to do. If we trust in God, have faith in His plans for us, and spend time daily with Him, we are able to be joyful, strengthened and at peace no matter what our day is like!

Thank you Lord for your wonderful presence that we can rest in at anytime and all of your promises to establish us! In Jesus’ name, Amen!