Recently, I received a Max Lucado devotional entitled Grace for the Moment. Apparently these little scriptural tidbits are only supposed to take a moment to read. But yesterday’s piece stayed with me the whole day long. It was titled “Blessed are the Focused” and here’s an excerpt:
There is only so much sand in the hourglass. Who gets it?
You know what I’m talking about, don’t you?…
“The PTA needs a new treasurer. With your background and experience and talent and wisdom and love for kids and degree in accounting, YOU are the perfect one for the job!”…
“Blessed are the meek,” Jesus said. The word does not mean weak. It means focused. It is a word used to describe a domesticated stallion. Power under control…
Blessed are those who recognize their God-given responsibilities. Blessed are those who acknowledge that there is only one god and have quit applying for His position. Blessed are those who know what they are on earth to do and set themselves about the business of doing it.
Over the past 13 months, I have learned the value – and the freedom – of saying “No.” Of focusing my energies, my talents, my ambitions on those things that God has equipped me to do and not trying to do it all. This has been particularly true in my ministries through church. Some would argue that going to a larger church means a greater pool of resources, and to a degree that’s true. But even large churches face the same volunteer overload and burnout that smaller churches do. And it would be very easy for me to commit to doing far more than I do – but that’s a danger I desperately want to avoid.
God has not called me to wear myself out. He has called me to “work heartily, as unto the Lord and not to men.” He has called me to be a good steward of the gifts and abilities He has given me. He has called me to be salt and light and to live a life of integrity and compassion.
For the past year, we have made significant progress as a family toward limiting our commitments. We have always been protective of our children’s schedules, but somehow Matt and I didn’t seem to be able to be quite as protective of our own. With joining a new church came an opportunity to start fresh…to undo the mistakes of our past without feelings of guilt or failure. In being selective about our ministries, and taking the time to really seek out where God was calling us, we have found a new joy in serving, a renewed enthusiasm, and a refined passion for what we’re doing. We have been somewhat surprised at where God’s led, but the fit is perfect.
Saying no is not easy, and I’m sure I still do too much when you look at the sum total of my activities. But I’m learning: there’s value in not doing it all. “No” can sometimes be a good word. A very good word.