Happy New Year! Well, it’s January 1st, 2011 as I write this inspiration from my heart. I can’t help but think of all the different places I’ve rang in the New Year & how thankful I am today to find myself right in the center of His will for my life, even if it is Oklahoma & not one of the Greek Isles! Where is His perfect will for me? I guess it’s in that place of being more determined than ever to make a difference in this world. It’s a place of the heart.
Maybe it’s because the years seem to get more precious the older I get or it might just be because I love Him more than ever. Whatever the reason, I just want to do every last thing He has for me in this year. If we follow after His will, not getting side-tracked by the distractions that surround us, His plan is for us to enjoy life to the fullest & also impact it beyond our dreams. How can that happen? Well, basically it means we will have to listen to that still small voice of the Holy Ghost that will lead & guide us. We see Elijah in I Kings 19 come to understand this same thing. We see him on the mountain before the Lord, where the wind, earthquake & fire all passed before him. The voice of the Lord wasn’t in any of those huge outward showings, rather He came in the still small voice. It’s the same for us! So, often we want God to shoot off fireworks & show us how to fulfill our destiny. The truth, He waits to lead us every day by His still small voice. The question is, are we listening?
So many people say that there just isn’t enough time in the day. I really don’t believe that is true, even though I’ve been guilty of saying it myself! The truth is that God numbers our days & has a perfect plan for each one. He wouldn’t ask us to do more in a day than we are able; I think that our own over scheduling is often to blame. Even when He made this beautiful planet, He took the seventh day to rest! Hmmmm, He knows just how to schedule His time. If we are feeling weighed down, something isn’t right! In Mathew 11:30 He says, “My yoke is easy & my burden is light.” So, it can’t be because God is asking too much of us. It has to be that we have added too much to ourselves or there is always the possibility that some of our time isn’t’ spent wisely. I know, we all struggle with that one!
The very worst thing that can happen with our time is for Him not to have any of it all to Himself. I can remember when we use to move from nation to nation. Without fail, with transition would come that feeling for me of needing to re-find my routine. Mostly, I needed to figure out where my quiet time could have priority! After a few weeks of wondering around, I would always run to God with a “Help, I miss my time with you!” He would always so gently, on the inside, show me a pattern that worked for that specific time in my life. Today there are still seasons that change as often as I use to travel. When the boys where toddlers, there was less of me to give other places. Now that they are bigger, I find more time to give to those around me. Hmmm, maybe that book in my heart is possible after all!
More than likely, if we would all take an evaluation of our time, we have a little more of it to spend than we realize! Usually, when an inventory is complete, we realize that quite a bit of time was lost somewhere between a phone call that could have ended earlier and an internet search that could have long been over. I promise you that, within the will of God, there is plenty of time for us to enjoy the beauties of life & fulfill His lovely plan. We just have to listen to the still small voice. You know, those little nudges that say, “Get off the phone” or that may say, “Turn off the computer.” Have you ever felt those? Weather we listen or not, they were for a reason! Rom 8:14 teaches us that the sons of God are led by the spirit of God. He is trying to lead us! He is trying to keep us from adding too much to ourselves & also to keep us from losing time that could be better spent. Trust me, family time is precious, rest is precious & He has a way for us to experience it all! It requires our following the promptings inside.
Even Jesus had to say “no” every once in awhile & we may have to say it too! In Luke 4 we see where the people didn’t want Him to leave & even begged Him to say, but He let them know He had to leave. He was to the point & explained that He had to go to the next towns to preach because that was why He was sent. Their persistence did not change His mind. He didn’t allow others to dictate His time. Ouch! Have you ever been guilty of that one? I have, but I am learning. Believe it or not, I can let my phone ring & not even go see who is calling. Sometimes, we have to say “no” & go on where the spirit is leading us for that moment.
John 10:4 says, “His sheep follow Him because they know His voice.” Then, over in Acts 17:28 we find one of my favorite verses in the Bible. It says, “For in Him we live and move and have our being.” I believe that’s for all day, every day! We can follow the Master by listening to His Spirit that abides inside us. We can know when it’s time to make another phone call & when it’s time to be with those that are near to us. There will always be a to-do list, but let’s allow the Holy Ghost to set the priority. If we do, we’ll find that there is plenty of time to be with Him & do all He’s called us do. We’ll even find that He’ll allow us to enjoy the ride along the way too!