- I sometimes forget to return phone calls or text messages.
- I "sent in" the mortgage payment only to find it back in my mailbox a week later...I somehow self-addressed it to myself. Oops for the late submission of my payment!
- Often produce goes bad in our fridge.
- I do a poor job of planning out meals.
- I put sleeping over housework, including the piles of dishes in the sink and the laundry the needs to get folded. ( I {heart} naptime!!).
- For the first time, I left the house to run errands...AND THE HOUSE WAS DIRTY! Toys, folded laundry (plus the laundry my 1-year old "helped" fold), unsorted mail, kitchen counters not wiped down...all littered my house.
- Projects left half done.
- Half-read books collecting dust on the coffeetable in hopes that one day I will actually get around to reading them (and returning them to my friends who so graciously lent them to me).
- A "to-do" list that is half complete.
Despite these things (and the many other areas in my life in which I fall short), I pray that I never fall short in the most important pursuits in my life (and in this order, too!!):
- Being a faithful follower of Jesus.
- Being a loyal, trustworthy, reliable wife to the most amazing husband.
- Being a loving, compassionate, consistent mother.
- Being an involved, caring, good listening friend.
In our media-crazed world, it is so easy to compare, daydream, overstretch ourselves to things we are not called to even be doing. Why is this? To save face? Make ourselves feel more significant? To have "purpose?"
I often times think, "Oh, I'm good! I got this." But then I am reminded that in scripture not even Jesus allowed people to call Him "good." It is only through His relationship with God that He credited Himself as good. So how arrogant am I to say that I have this crazy life under control...without even consulting the One who made life!
There are many stresses and struggles I face in my everyday, yet those days in which I put Jesus first, life somehow seems to be a little easier. The tasks seem to go a little smoother. My attitude reflects more patience and love towards challenges (include my daughter who sometimes resists during mealtime and decides it is "fun" to throw food and her sippy cup!!). More strength to endure is produced.
Being faithful to Jesus FIRST helps everything else in my life fall into place. I want to serve my husband more, love on my daughter more, engage in life with friends. It is amazing how much can change by simply re-ordering priorities.
This is not an easy struggle to win, however. For example, I set out to have quiet time this morning and my daughter decided to wake up an hour earlier than she normally does...so much for a hot cup of coffee and a relaxing devotional. But in that moment, I had to make a choice. I allowed my sweet little human to play in her crib, fuss a little, and talk with herself to sneak just 15-minutes with Jesus. Wow! Those 15-minutes were powerful! God honored my sacrifice to put Him first and taught me a valuable lesson about comparison and the destruction that it can bring.
So, friends, I know life is hard. Life is busy. And that we all fall short....it is okay to confess it! But confession without change is like a promise unfilled...empty. Jesus wants to radically change your life through a loving relationship with Him! To do that, we must all shift our priorities and spend time with the One who made life. Trust me, it is worth it! Allow Jesus to fill in all of those places you fall short. Allow Jesus to give you rest from the stresses and burdens of this life. HE CAN DO IT! And He will, if we simply re-order our priorities.
Go in prayer and peace, knowing that Jesus stands by you and desires you to serve Him. When you do, life challenges won't magically disappear but they will be much easier to handle.
Maranatha.
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