Have you ever sat back and thought about what you want to do instead of what you have to do? Isn’t it funny that the default response for most of us is often “ain’t nobody got time for that!” Think about it, how many times have you responded quietly to anything that seems to disrupt your already packed schedule? Go back to school? Go to to the gym? Do what I want to do? Ain’t nobody got time for that!
Ok so maybe you don’t literally say “ain’t nobody got time for that” but so often we claim to be too busy to make any change for the better in our lives. It really is so sad to hear so many of us say that we’re too busy to pursue our goals and dreams!
The truth is yes, we are busy. We do have full schedules. But the other side of that truth is that it is so easy to stay busy and claim that we have no time when we are the ones who set our own schedules! We agree with the busy lifestyle by continuing to be too busy for the things that truly matter in life.
“Live purposefully…and accurately…making the most of your time.” Ephesians 5:15-16 (AMP; paraphrase added)
I believe that God is telling us, “I want you to be busy, but I don’t want you to be busy for nothing!” If you’re going to be busy, do it with a purpose! Do it with a goal. You know, those desires you carry in your heart? Those are from God! The dreams are for a reason! God wants to use them to make your life shine and to make His name famous through you!
“The ways of right living people glow with light. The longer they live, the brighter they shine.” Proverbs 4:18 (MSG)
When we engage in “right living” or living on purpose, our lives shine brightly! So the question is, “how do I go about “right living”? Essentially, right living speaks to:
• knowing the mark (goal, dream, etc) you’re living for
• making choices that accurately push you towards that mark,
• having an uncompromising devotion
See the goal is not to be “un-busy”, the goal must be for our “busyness” to have a purpose, to have a mark! Without a purpose or a mark, we are not making the most of our time! You could say it this way, “your life shines when you live with an uncompromising devotion to pressing towards what really matters most”.
But, remember, you must also live accurately! So in the midst of your schedule, you need to take time to check your accuracy. Ask yourself questions like:
• “Am I doing this because I have to or because I want to?”
• “Do I like who I’m becoming when I live this way?”
• “Is this the best decision to push me towards the “mark” I’ve set?”
We’re all busy, I agree. But none of us are too busy to live on purpose! I challenge you to check the accuracy of how you’re living, and make sure you’re steering your life in way that will cause you to shine. Having a life that shines brings so much glory to God, and, yes, you’ve got time for that!
Live Extraordinarily,
Jared
