"Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him." Psalm 37:7
"Let patience have her perfect work." P19 (God Calling Devotional for January 9th) One of my gifts is patience. I guess I learned it growing up as the eighth of ten children. I'm at the bottom of the ladder so I often had to wait my turn. Our son Gabe is one of the most patient people I've ever met. Because of his short arms, it takes him longer to do basic daily tasks like getting dressed or putting toothpaste on his toothbrush. But he always exhibits patience even in times when he struggles to get a shirt buttoned or a light turned off. He inspires me!
Another quote I chose from today's devotional is "Never think things overwhelming." P19 (God Calling) Never? Really? Okay, so if I truly believe that all things are possible and God is with me then why do I sometimes get overwhelmed? He knows what I can bear without a strain. God would not ask me to do something that could destroy me.
What causes me to be overwhelmed? When my plate is too full perhaps I am serving another master instead of God. Is my master my job? The next book? The demanding schedules of my children? Someone else's expectations? The opinion of man? Taking on a load I was not intended to bear? All of these things can produce strain. I try to avoid being overwhelmed.
I was at lunch the other day with my friend Cheryl. I was giving her an update on the status of my Caregivers' Devotions to Go book. I filled her in on my current involvement in the Northwest Christian Writer's Association (www.nwchristianwriters.org) and Northwest Ministry Conference www.MinistryConference.org We discussed the status of Gabe's book and chatted about her interview with him. She encouraged me and gave me ideas about what to do next. At the end of our lunch she took a deep breath and said, "Gigi, just listening to everything you have going on in your life exhausts me." How do you do it all?
God did not intend for me to be overwhelmed so I take all of my activities to Him every day. Often times when I'm doing my morning devotions I'll take time to prioritize and change things around a bit. That is when I rest in the Lord's plan.
Right now I don't feel overwhelmed with everything on my plate. But if I start to feel the strain then maybe it's time I examine my motives and adjust my activities. How about you? Are you overwhelmed?
God Bless Your heart!
Gigi Murfitt
The idea for this blog post came from the daily devotional in a book titled "God Calling" by A. J. Russell. It was published by Barbour publishing.
1 comment:
I'm not naturally patient, so thank you for the encouragment. I agree, when the Lord lines up your priorities, you can do an amazing amount of things without stress. When He isn't in charge of the schedule and the lists, life can be stressful, complicated and unfruitful.
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