I am not one who would often be accused of being a workaholic. Growing up with two workaholic parents instilled in me an appreciation for finding a balance in life between hard work and leisure.
Still, that doesn't prevent me from occasionally running myself ragged, and the last two weeks have been a prime example. Here at Back to God Ministries, we've been getting ready for an important trade show that we attend every year. This has required me to put in a lot of long days, often working late into the night, to make sure that everything is in order for the show. I'm stressed out, tired, not sleeping well, not eating well, and overall just ready for the whole thing to be over.
In the midst of all this, last Sunday, my pastor taught a lesson on one of his favorite spiritual disciplines: solitude and silence. At the end of his message, he challenged us all to dedicate 6 hours (in a row) to solitude and silence some time this week. At least 6 hours--though 24 would be better.
Internally, I scoffed. If only you knew what kind of week I'm having, you wouldn't ask me to do this.
"I know what most of you are thinking," he said.
Oh really?
"You're thinking, if only you knew what kind of week I'm having, you'd know that I can't do that. I'm too busy to sit silently for 6 minutes, let alone 6 hours."
Ugh.
Then he said something that really made me question my prioritizing.
"Everything that is making you busy, everything that takes up your time--those are all good things. But God has more for us. Sometimes, we need to set aside the good things and spend time doing the best things." He went on to challenge us to trust that God would allow us to get everything done, even while giving up 6 hours to silence and solitude.
I'll admit, even after all that, I wasn't able to give it up. We leave for the trade show tomorrow morning, and I haven't slowed down for longer than 5 minutes yet. But it is certainly on my mind. How can I find a balance between the good and the best? Can I really trust God with 6 hours of my time, even when, logically, I know that I have very few minutes to spare?
How do you find meaningful time for God and his "best things" when your work, your family or your daily tasks are demanding every second of your day?
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Comments (9)
Thanks!
I don't have your problem. I'm 70 and have much more time for what is most important to me without all the pressures and stresses that are necessary when you are younger but I remember what it was like.
Eat well. If your body isn't taken care of you won't do as much and you won't do it as well.
Spend some time with God is mentioned second but most important so I'll take longer with it.
For me, living alone with my parents dead, four of my five siblings dead and the one alive in a wheelchair in a nursing home with Alzheimers so she doesn't always recognize me, and most of my best friends gone, my friends left are really important to me.
And the time with God is more like a discussion with the best of my friends who listens to me, and gives me answers and advice--not in words but in a feeling of the warmth of his presence and what he thinks is right that helps me through each day.
I don't like an arbitrary time for myself. I do it frequently, when I wake in the morning, when I'm resting, even when I read something on the Internet so I may stop for a moment and ask God for help for someone I read about or someone I think of who I know is having problems.
Take some time to tell God what you are doing and what you are working on and ways to do it and listen to him. Listening to God is really important and putting it into practice is really important. All the reading of the Bible, prayer, etc. if in vain if you don't do it.
I begin each morning listening to Joyce Meyer on the Internet. She basically seems to be preaching not to save us but to teach the saved from the BIBLE how God will have us act toward each other to reflect in our behavior which makes us a better testimony to the world of our God--and makes us closer to God and happier as a side effect.
Take time with God to talk to him about your work and what you are doing and I think you will be suprised how much better you feel as you do it, how much more you get done and how much better you do it afterward.
I hope so and I will be saying a prayer to Him for your well being in this time of difficulty.
Have a blessed and cheerful life--It's what God wants for you and I do too.
Cark