I work from home. There are days that I do not go outside. I may make a point to change that.
As I was riding along the other day, I noticed how beautiful the trees are this fall. I felt like it had been a long time since I really looked at a tree. I see them out the window from my desk all the time, but this felt different.
Have you ever had that happen to you?
It is easy to get busy doing – just doing. We work. We read. We watch television. We sleep. We eat. We do it over again the next day. As a creature of habit, we may get used to being in motion without ever coming up for air.
Just because someone asks you to do something it does not mean that you have to do it. I will tell you something else that it does not mean. It does not mean that it is God’s will for you to do it either.
We really can get too busy in our lives to pause and pray about what we are doing. When we slow down, look around, and give God our undivided attention, we may be surprised by what He has for us. It may not be what we’d think.
I often find that when I am busy an opportunity will come along for me to do something else. Unless I pause and pray, I may not realize that this new, fun, and interesting thing is definitely not what God has for me to do. Sometimes what is needed is to stay the course.
We need to be sensitive to the leading of the Lord.
For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.
Romans 12:4-8
Not everyone is suited for every job. Not every position that you are asked to fill is necessarily a good position for you.
My husband once told a pastor to not ask me to be treasurer. Bob said he hoped I did not mind. Bob had told him that, “Timely reporting is not what that person is about.”
I did not mind. Bob was being very kind. Over the years he has gotten used to there not being any totals on most of the pages of our personal checkbook. I don’t enjoy that task, but I have gotten good at writing down whatever the software says we have every now and then.
LIFE APPLICATION
Today’s challenge is to slow down enough to really listen to the Lord. It’s easy to get so busy doing something for the Lord that you miss what He really wants you to be doing. Remember that just because you asked to do something doesn’t mean you should say yes. Prayerfully consider your options before making your choice.
God gifts us differently. He gifted you to do what he set aside for you to do. Be sure you know what that is and stay the course. Always be sensitive to the leading of the Lord.