If Satan can’t keep us active and attentive in the activities that bring death, then he often seeks to keep us inactive and inattentive to those things that bring forth life.
So. Not. Easy. For. Me!!! J To turn from what seems pressingly important or wonderfully exciting! My greatest struggle is with the tyranny of the urgent overshadowing all else. I miss out on so much when that happens. All that He planned for me to experience—especially the joy, the moments of enjoyment—while growing where He’s planted me. I'm so tired of that!
What are my priorities? What should they be? Am I seeking to align my heart as well as my energy to those things which have eternal value?
“Only one life, twill soon be past. Only what’s done for Christ will last!”
God calls us to align our priorities, our callings, our giftings according to His direction. I am so blessed—and will continue to be blessed—knowing God’s desires when making decisions in how I spend my time, my focus and my energy.
Many Believers just never ask Him. Perhaps they don’t really desire to know God’s feelings on the matter. For me, I didn’t realize that I could assuredly hear and be led by Him—so I simply never asked. I just went with what seemed right in my own eyes (Judges 21:25).
What I do with my day matters to Him! It’s important! And I don’t want to waste my life on the unimportant!
I’ve spent time recently with God discovering His priorities for my life in this season. Aside from spending time with Him J...He gave me 8 other “do’s before anything else gets done”. And you know what...some of it was surprising!
Something that I had felt sure He was going to release me from...He didn’t! Another area in which I was hoping He’d let me be more involved, He said “no—not now.”
There are so many areas of importance. But I need to keep what God has placed before me as most important for His plan for my life right now! The temptation is always there to take on more—to add some of the things that look good or that I “think” I would enjoy. But I’ll run out of steam, fruitful purpose and I will fall short in other vital areas if I take on more.
Sometimes I envision much more responsibility in an area than God plans for me. Some involvement, some helping may be fine. But I struggle with bringing things from the background into the forefront and thereby leaving leftovers of myself to those who should receive firstfruits!
I am learning to take every thought; every activity; every duty/chore/responsibility; every calling; every hearts desire...captive—to Christ! Is what I am dong and focused on aligned with Christ? Are they aligned with my God-given priorities? If they are not, I need to ask God what He wants me to do with them to make them fit or make them go.
God is good! He has such goodness in store for me—for you! But we will never get to His good if we stay stuck in what “appears” good in our own eyes. In yielding the desires for our life we not only find peace and rest and joy...we will find the ripe fruit of contentment—fruit unattainable by any means of striving. Only resting under His personal yoke for our own life and our own work for the Kingdom will result in this one-of-a-kind fruit borne from and out of obedience.
He desires obedience over sacrifice (1 Sam. 15:22). I don’t want to sacrifice my time, my day, this season of my life to any thing not aligned with the calling of my life. I will only bear bitter regret and remorse when my eyes fall off of His and when priorities fall short of those divinely set for me.
It’s time for different, it’s time for better...it’s time for His best!
It’s time to stay focused on the path set before ME—for JUST me!
