Seed Thoughts

Years ago I worked part-time in retail sales. Every January we would spend several weeks preparing for and taking the year-end inventory. From that experience, I decided to adopt the same policy in my own life. I believe that it is important each year to take inventory of our lives as individuals and as families. And there is no better time to do that than at the beginning of a new year.

We live in a fast-paced world. Each of us has only 24 hours to accomplish what needs to be done each day. How I wish that time could be stopped or stored! However, that is impossible, so we must make the most of the time we have.

I would encourage you to decide what things are most important to you, and then place those things at the top of your priority list. My list goes like this: God, family, work, my personal time, and finally, my friends.

I have always made God the very first priority on my list. As I have stated many times in this column, my parents continually reminded me of Matthew 6:33: “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need” (NLT). I am very thankful that they emphasized that principle in my life. It has certainly been the foundation for living victoriously, regardless of the situations I encounter.

Family has always been my next priority. I am concerned that family life is being destroyed these days. Children are involved in so many extracurricular activities that it leaves little time for families just to enjoy each other. Our children were involved in sports and other school functions. However, my husband and I always made sure that those things did not consume time for or take the place of our family activities. Some of the greatest memories my children have are our family vacations, family nights playing board games, four-wheeling as a family, and those rare times when there was snow and we would sled down a hill close to our house. We laugh about and think about those memories even now when we get together.

Many make their jobs the God of their lives. A job is very important. It does require hard work and consumes a lot of our time and energy. We must not neglect the duties that our jobs require. However, we can easily become consumed with getting to the top in our work and neglect our other priorities. Our jobs can destroy our relationship with God as well as our family life.

You may be asking, “How do I give each area of my life the right priority?” I would like to share with you some thoughts and guidelines that I have followed. First of all I commit my daily life to the Lord’s direction. Psalm 37:23 (NLT) says, “The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives.” My responsibilities at Rhema are many: General Manager of the ministry, Director of the Training Center, and Chief Financial Officer. And I minister in crusades and perform the duties of a pastor’s wife.

All of those responsibilities could be overwhelming if I did not allow the Lord to direct my steps. Every day I ask God for wisdom, strength, and the ability to perform my duties. And I ask Him to help me conserve my time so I can attend to my other priorities.

After committing my day to God, I make a to-do list for that day. It is amazing how much more we can accomplish if we commit those tasks to paper. I find it so satisfying to organize my day and then check off the items on my list as I accomplish them. And I’ve learned that if I do the thing I least enjoy first, it seems I’m able to accomplish everything else more quickly.

Finally, I have learned to compartmentalize my life. For instance, when I am spending time with God, I don’t think about anything else. When I am at work, all of my thoughts are in that area. However, when it is time for family, I forget about what else needs to be done at work and enjoy my family. And when it is what I call “me” time, I’ve learned to enjoy that and not feel guilty about taking it.

I encourage you this year to take an inventory of your life. Allow the Lord to direct your every step. Let Him plan each detail. As you do, you will be able to live a life of peace and fulfillment.