It’s Sunday and for many of us, it is the start of a busy week. If we are to be completely honest about all of the things that pull and tug on us, there are a million and one things that we could attempt to do this week. Yet, what we should do before we begin the week is establish a plan.
So what’s the plan? I know that I will have mine and you will have yours, but there are three things that I want you to do in the process. These are the three things that I will be doing as well.
- Seek the Lord
- Don’t work in vain
- Make time for work and relationships
One of the first things that we need to do, in regards to our plan, is to seek the Lord.
The steps of a man are established by the LORD, when he delights in his way. Psalm 37:23
I don’t know about you, but I don’t want anything that I do to be done in vain. I want my works to be prosperous. I desire great outcomes and successful projects. Still, I know that I won’t be able to accomplish every little thing that I plan out. I learned this a long time ago.
I used to put a lot of undue pressure on myself to do more what was humanly impossible, daily. By the end of that day, I would be drained and frustrated. Drained because I tried to do everything, relentlessly, while never saying “no” to the requests of others. Frustrated because I knew that this vicious cycle would just continue when I opened my eyes the next morning. I would go to sleep late and wake up early. When I looked at what I had done, I was not very pleased. Little did I know, at the time, that the Bible says that this is unwise and vain.
It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for He gives to His beloved sleep. Psalm 127:2
The New King James Version says that God gives us rest.
REST…
I don’t think I really knew the meaning of the word. Yet, it is so simple. I had to cease from all of my toiling, my anxious toiling, to seek God for the work that I needed to accomplish in order for His will to be done in my life. This was not easy, but I learned how to do it. I also have to give myself time to simply, rest. I needed to stop and smell the roses, look at the view, kiss my kids, and watch a movie with my husband. I needed to do that things that I enjoyed and free myself from the “have to’s” of life, daily.
Today, I am different. I seek God daily and give myself the freedom to not complete everything on my to-do list, because I am not the Sovereign, All Knowing God. I am simply, me. I make my plans, but the Lord orders my steps. (Proverbs 16:9) This is why it is so important to seek God for the plan and to realize that we may miss it a little in the planning stages. God may have more that He wants or less, but either way, when we submit our ways to the Lord, He will make sure that everything that needs to and has to be done, will be accomplished.
This includes that relational connections that we have with others on a daily basis. We cannot be so consumed with the things of this life that we forget about the people that God has placed in our lives or allowed to cross our paths.
We have to make time to connect with others and I don’t just mean on social media (although not excluded). I mean call that friend or family member. Have fun with the children in your life. If you are married, make time for connecting with your husband. Speak to the stranger. Connect with your neighbor…And here is something that we don’t hear a lot, commune with yourself. Spend time thinking your thoughts, reading books, and journaling. Pray and get connected with the Father through the Holy Spirit. Whatever you chose to do, just get connected.
So today, I want to encourage you, as I have been encouraged myself, to seek God for the weekly plan, don’t work in vain, and make time for work & relationships.
May God bless your week and cause all that your hands touch to prosper.
Thanks for reading.
Your prayerful sister,
Makeda
Leave a Reply