Have you ever noticed that when you are asked to give a talk on the Christian family the kids usually try to murder each other before you leave to speak? I well remember shouting at our three as I tried to untangle their flailing bodies before I went out to speak about “peace and harmony in the home!” Or you are asked to give a testimony about faith, and you want to wear gloves because your nails are bitten down to the quick. It’s a little bit the same when trying to talk about priorities. This is an area of confusion in my life most weeks. But I have learned some basic principles I can apply each time to assess the situation and hopefully get my priorities straight.
Women are constantly wondering what they are to be doing, and how much, and in what proportion. There is a lot of work to be done in God’s kingdom, and we will never run out of things to do, but we were never meant to do everything at the same time; we see what happens to people who try to be Super Nova Christians. Super Novas are huge stars that have so much pressure building up inside them that they finally “implode” – disintegrating internally. Know any women in ministry who fit that description? God has specific things in mind for each of us, and we need to know which things and in what order. Because women have so many more opportunities open to them now in terms of ministry, many women struggle daily and painfully with the issue of balance.
I asked myself once, “Where can I find a model for this balancing act?” And it seemed that the safest place to start was with Jesus.
As I looked in the gospels it seemed that three things were balancing factors for Jesus. They could be summed up in three phrases that He used concerning His inner motivation: I must be about my Father’s business; I must do always those things that please Him, and I’ve finished the work You gave me to do.It’s a great release to know that the secret to “doing it all” is not necessarily doing it all, but rather discovering which part of the “all” He has given us to do and doing all of that. Remember: there is only so much of the Father’s business that He’s given you to do – and we shouldn’t be doing anyone else’s part.
So, what is the Father’s business for you? I’ve come to the conclusion in my old age that it means I put love for God before all my other loves. The priority principle is: first the King and kingdom things. We must “seek first His kingdom and His righteousness” (Matt. 6:33). What that means is whatever the King says is first today must be first today. Maybe the things that are first today may not be first tomorrow or the next day, but all I need to worry about is today. His priorities must be our priorities.
So the King might say, “First for you today is to stay home with your children.” Then do it. Have the courage to do it. Or again He might say, “Leave your children in someone else’s care today and go and teach a Bible study.” Do it then, if that’s what the King says is first today. But don’t be surprised if He is telling the person next to you in church to do something else!
We’re all so very different. And we’re all in different seasons of life. We all have different responsibilities. So we shouldn’t look at someone else and say, “They should be putting ‘this’ or ‘that’ first,” for we cannot know that. We just need to know it for ourselves.
It is my prayer that you will be able to “tame your days” by finding out what the Father’s business is for you today!
