Are you one of the millions who feel constantly busy? Do you wake up thinking: “I might as well stay in bed. There’s no way I can get everything done!“?
Obviously that’s not a good way to live. God would much rather see you relaxed and confident in Him, peaceful and fulfilling your purpose in life. So if you’re in a habit of feeling anxious and overwhelmed, I want to help you fix that.
You may think time is the problem—that there just isn’t enough of it. But God gives everyone the same amount. We all have 24 hours a day, seven days a week. I guess that’s God’s way of saying that’s all the time we need to live a well-balanced life with plenty of time for work, rest and play.
Ecclesiastes 3:1 (AMPC) says, “To everything there is a season, and a time for every matter or purpose under heaven.”
Instead of dreading that you don’t have enough time, you can make the decision to have more wisdom with the way you spend your time.
You know, we spend time just like we spend money. When we spend it, it’s gone, and we can’t get it back. So we need to think about what we are spending it on and decide whether or not we are making the right choices.
No matter what’s on your to-do list today, I want to encourage you to know God hasn’t called you to be busy. He wants you to live purposefully and be fruitful.
And the secret to being fruitful is simply to have a close, personal relationship with God.
John 15:5 (AMPC) says, “I am the Vine; you are the branches. Whoever lives in Me and I in him bears much (abundant) fruit. However, apart from Me [cut off from vital union with Me] you can do nothing.”
No matter what you have to do to make time with God your top priority, you are never going to regret doing it. There is absolutely no better way to spend your time than to pray and study God’s Word. It will bring you peace, joy, confidence, wisdom and understanding. You’ll be encouraged. You can be healed. There’s just no end to the good things that can happen in your life when you put God first.
You may have to wake up extra early or stay up later at night, but I encourage you to set aside time daily to spend with God. And when you do, listen for His voice. One reason people feel pressured and under so much stress is that they’re listening to every voice around them except the voice of God.
Matthew 11:28-29 (AMPC) says, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest. [I will ease and relieve and refresh your souls.] Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am gentle (meek) and humble (lowly) in heart, and you will find rest (relief and ease and refreshment and recreation and blessed quiet) for your souls.”
Even Jesus spent time alone with God before He went out into the world to do ministry, and He only did what God put before Him to do. He didn’t let other people determine His schedule. If we will do the same, then our lives can be peaceful and purposeful as well as fruitful.
Are you living purposefully or just being busy? Have you ever had a day when you were busy all day long but couldn’t tell what you accomplished at the end of it? We don’t have to live that way.
God wants to encourage us through His Word to live as people of purpose, making the most of the time we’re given.
John 15:8 (AMPC) says, “When you bear (produce) much fruit, My Father is honored and glorified, and you show and prove yourselves to be true followers of Mine.”
Following God can sometimes sound like a huge, impossible task. But you can be a great witness for God just by being productive and resting in His presence as you go about your daily life.
When you feel like you’ve lost your balance again, and things are getting busy, don’t just drag yourself through the day. Make time with God your priority. He will give you the strength you need to live each day with peace and purpose as you accomplish everything He’s calling you to do. {eoa}
Joyce Meyer is a New York Times best-selling author and founder of Joyce Meyer Ministries, Inc. She has authored nearly 100 books, including Battlefield of the Mind and The Mind Connection (Hachette). She hosts the Enjoying Everyday Life radio and TV programs, which air on hundreds of stations worldwide. For more information, visit joycemeyer.org.
