Scheduling Conflicts

Does your schedule revolve around Jesus or do you try to fit Jesus into your schedule?  This was a question that was presented in a recent devotional that I read.  This thought provoking idea lingered in my mind for several days.  I would guess that most people that consider themselves Christians, would answer that Jesus is the center of their world. Therefore, everything that they do has to revolve around Jesus right?  

But let’s pause for a moment and get real with ourselves. We need to take a serious look at our calendars.  What activities consume the majority of our time? If it is difficult for you to determine this, separate it into several categories. My categories would be: work, business, social outings, church events, prayer time, bible study, kid’s sports……If I placed these sections on a pie chart, I would easily be able to see what part of my life has the biggest slice of pie. This visual may surprise us if we find out that “Jesus Time” is missing in our calendars and we now have to figure out where to fit this quality time.

Christ wants us to enjoy life.  Scripture says in John 10:10 that Christ came, so that we can live an abundant life. That is a life full of love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and temperance.  These are the fruits of the spirit and evidence of an abundant life.  How are you measuring up?

So now that you have an idea of where you spend most of your time, the second step is to ask yourself if these activities are causing you to draw closer to God or are they taking time away from you spending time with God?  Is God an afterthought when you are engaged in these activities or is His presence evident?  

One of my favorite scriptures is Proverbs 3:6. It says, “In all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths.” This verse always challenges me to make sure that Christ has co-signed on my endeavors.  I know that I can easily get caught up in doing things my way in order to get things accomplished.  My ambition can easily get self-centered instead of remaining  Christ-centered. If my calendar is mostly filled with events and activities that don’t have Christ in the mix, than I know that my life is unbalanced. 

As Christians, our sole desire must be to live a life that is pleasing to God; therefore checking to see if we have “scheduling conflicts” is something that we need to do often.  Seeking God first and acknowledging Him in our daily routines is the only way that we can avoid these conflicts.  With His help, our lives will be full and we can all enjoy the good life in Christ!

 

Your sister in Christ!

Stephanie Singleton

 

Prayer Starter:  Please forgive me Lord, when my priorities have not been in order. Help me to seek you first in everything that I do and show me the way to live an abundant life.  Reveal to me the areas that are not in balance and that need to be shifted in order to be in alignment with your plans.  You are my Father and I want to live a life that pleases you.  Amen