Saturday, September 28, 2013

The Overwhelmed Life


The wisdom of the prudent is to give thought to their ways, but the folly of fools is deception.  Proverbs 14:8


Hello friends.  I hope everyone is doing well and enjoying the cooler weather.  Today I want us to examine our hearts and our lives to determine, is it possible we are on task overload?  Have we overloaded our lives with worthless things?  Have we overloaded our lives with responsibilities and activities that God never intended?  Psalms 119:35-37 – Direct me in the path of your commands, for there I find delight.  Turn my heart toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain.  Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your word. 


Today I encourage you to evaluate your life and prioritize your responsibilities and activities in such a way that would be pleasing to your Savior and LORD.  God desires to give us direction for our lives.  Prayerfully seek His will and ask Him to help you prioritize your responsibilities and activities, as you live your life for Him. 


God's Word tells us in Matthew 6:33 - But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.  Turn to God today for His leadership and guidance in prioritizing your life.  Ask Him to place His desires in your heart.  I can testify that God will change the desires of your heart and align your desires with His, if you are truly seeking His kingdom and His righteousness.  Study notes from the Life Application Study Bible reveal, "people, objects, goals, and other desires all compete for priority in our lives.  Any of these can quickly bump God out of first place if you don't actively choose to give Him first place in every area of your life."  I encourage you to give God the place He belongs - FIRST PLACE. 


One reason we may have allowed our lives to become overloaded with activities and responsibilities could be because we are “people pleasers.”  Search your heart and ask yourself this question, am I a “people pleaser”?  Are you trying to gain the approval of people?  Even during a time of persecution, Peter understood that God was the one he must please and obey.  Act 5:29 - Peter and the other apostles replied:  "We must obey God rather than men."  We learn in Galatians 1:10 if we are striving to please people, we cannot be the servant of Christ that He desires us to be.  Trying to please people will overshadow our attempts at pleasing our Savior and LORD.  Galatians 1:10 - Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God?  Or am I trying to please men?  If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ. 


It is not "un-Christian" for us to say no.  We must learn to seek God's will before we respond with a "yes" or a "no," when asked to take on a responsibility.  Say "no" graciously and kindly when it is God led and Scripture defined. 


I end today by asking you, do you desire to live differently?  Are you ready to prioritize your life in a manner pleasing to your Savior and LORD?  He is there to give direction and guidance.  All we must do is seek His will.  Elisabeth Eliot stated, "The will of God is not something you add to your life.  It's a course you choose.  You either line yourself up with the Son of God . . . or you capitulate to the principle which governs the rest of the world."


Dear Heavenly Father, I pray today that You will help us to live a life that is pleasing to You.  Father, help us as we commit to putting You and Your will first in our lives.  Give us wisdom when committing to activities and responsibilities, and help us to say no graciously when that is Your desire.  In Jesus Name I Pray…..AMEN







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