Thursday, September 06, 2007

Simplify

"There is nothing so useless as doing efficiently that which should not be done at all" -- Peter Drucker.

Just so you know, I don't really know who Peter Drucker is, so if you need to know who he is before you think about something he said, then Google him. I did just that, and from my 30 second analysis I determined the following: a) I could not tell if he is a christian or not; b) he's really into business and politics - neither of which interest me in the least; and c) he likes the idea of keeping things as simple as possible. That idea I like. Sometimes we make life so much more complicated than it needs to be ~ and those who know me well know that I tend to do that alot! It may even come across in my writing (a.k.a. rambling...)

I am in great need of simplifying my life at the moment. For the past week I've been wanting to write about how busy we are and how I've been struggling to balance everything in our lives..........but I haven't had time!! Uggh. It is a struggle balancing work, the boys' sports, school & other activities, church commitments, taking care of the house, the yard, the bills, spending quality time with Vince and all of our kids........all of these things are necessary, good, and wonderful! But I've been feeling stretched very thin, trying to do too much, and consequently feeling like I am not doing ANYTHING very well!

Enter Beth Moore. In her "Quick Word" broadcast last week (Monday, August 27th) she talked about how we need to go to God and ask Him to help us prioritize. To ask Him to show us a couple things that we should focus on ~ just a couple ~ because we cannot possibly do a thousand things for the glory of God! And shouldn't that be our motivation for whatever we do? To bring glory to God? To fulfill the purposes that HE has given us? We get so caught up in doing life that we forget sometimes WHO we are doing it for! I know I do.

"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." 1 Corinthians 10:31

"And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." Colossians 3:17

When I take on too much I feel overwhelmed, and then I get stressed out, and then my heart is not in what I am doing. That doesn't bring any glory to God, and doesn't make the people in my life feel very blessed either. So I need to go to God, everyday, to discover His will for my life for that day. As Beth said, "God will empower you ONE DAY AT A TIME to do what HE has called you to do." I know and believe that whatever He calls me to do, He will equip me with the energy & ability to carry it out ~ not just carry it out, but to succeed, to be fruitful, to be a blessing.

"Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed." Proverbs 16:13

2 comments:

  1. Wow honey! I am humbled and challenged by your insight! There are SO many times when I feel like I not only over-commit, but I also fail to correctly prioritize. When I do this, I end up 'spinning' my wheels and wasting my time. Then I beat myself up and feel like I have failed everyone...God speaks through His holy word, time and time again about wanting us to bring our burdens...even the little day to day things to Him. We need to rely on His strength... His guidance & wisdom.
    Thank you for reminding me of this!

    Love always!

    ~ V

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  2. Hi Lisa,

    I came across this little story and I thought it would be good to share.
    In William Barclay's daily devotional "Daily Celebration", appears this little story:
    "There was a little Indian girl at school today," announced my son proudly.
    "Does she speak English?" I asked.
    "No," came the quick reply, "but it doesn't matter because she laughs in English!"
    Laughter is the universal language. You can laugh in any language and it will be understood. Keep laughing!
    If you can laugh at it, you can live with it. Laughter is to life what salt is to an egg. Laughter is the cheapest luxury man or women have. It stirs up the blood, expands the chest, electrifies the nerves, clears away the cobwebs from the brain, and gives the whole system a cleaning rehabilitation.

    When we get to busy, we are to busy. It is time to sit back and laugh. You can't laugh with a frown, only a smile, and when you smile the whole world is a better place.

    God Loves You and so do we.
    Michael

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