Make Every Effort Count: Doing Every_Thing

Life is short. With the new year already begun, we only have another 355 days left in 2015 to choose spending our time doing something, nothing, or every_thing.

Do Something:

This is usually the fail-safe of most people, including myself. I think most of my time is spent going and doing. Like worker bees, we buzz from project to project, sunrise to sunset without much thought as to the long term purpose of it all. This isn't a bad thing. We have to brush our teeth, eat three square meals a day, pull the weeds, mop the floors. It's part of being responsible and good stewards of all the Lord has given to us.

Do Nothing:

What a luxury, to be able to do nothing. I can't imagine what life is like in situations where people have to work just to survive. Reading of the life of pioneers in the Little House on the Prairie series, I see how hard life used to be in America.

But, look at us now. There are so many technological advances to make living easier. We have so much free time on our hands, we seek ways to entertain ourselves.

Still, life can be hard. I think of the many who struggle with depression. We can get stuck and unable see past the heaviness of hopelessness. It's as if the weight of the world is on our shoulders.

It is only as we seek the glimmers of God's grace, His glory, can we be lifted out of those dark places. He is ready and able to give us a renewed sense of hope and purpose in our suffering.

As the Psalmist says,

"I love your sanctuary, Lord,
    the place where your glorious presence dwells." (26:8, NLT)

We do nothing when we wait for the Lord and seek His face. Finding Him in His glory is worth all the wait. And as we are waiting in quiet repose (Isaiah 30:15), our character can grow more into the image of Christ (Romans 8:28-29). It is during difficult times that we can develop patient endurance. 


Do Every_Thing:

Doing every_thing? Doesn't that sound a bit like going overboard?

There is a difference between doing "everything" and doing every_thing.

Doing "everything" is being over-responsible to the point of getting burnt out.

Doing every_thing is finding that perfect, straight and narrow path laid before us and doing every_thing we are destined to do. Because we don't want to miss a single solitary thing the Lord has given us as our mission in life. 

Doing every_thing is truly our destiny. It is being willing to sacrifice all our time, our efforts, for Him.

We must be willing to change directions from doing something we were in the middle of doing to do what the Lord has planned for us in that moment. Or when we are doing nothing, rely on the Lord's strength to shift the focus from our pain, to helping others in theirs.

L