Refocusing

Galatians 6:7-10

7Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. 8The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. 9Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. 10Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

I have come to a season in my life that God has been dealing with me heavily on. I am not here for my pleasure. I am not here to accomplish what I think needs to be done. I am here to sow the seeds God places in my heart and to labor for the harvest as He sends it.

There are so many things that I want to do. I want to blog, I want to have lunch with friends, I want to restore broken friendships, I want to have time for myself. While none of these are wrong, if this is not what God is placing before me then I need to labor well and without grumbling. It drives me crazy when my children grumble about their chores. I want them to work with a cheerful heart because they are a part of this family too. But what kind of example am I?

Do I work and labor with a cheerful heart or do they see me with a discontented face and a spirit of resentment for the work in front of me?

This is the "chore" that God has given to me. The field and seeds that I am working and planting right now are in the hearts of my children. Is that anything to grumble about? How can I expect my children to want to work as a family and be cheerful about the chores that I give them if I can't be cheerful as I labor here where God has called me?

I have decided that I must refocus my thinking. What is important? Helping my husband, my children, my ministry, and my walk with Christ. What is "extra"? This blog, my time with friends, my "mommy" time and returning emails. If I focus on what is important than I will be happier and the work load seems lighter. If I have all these other things pulling on me I tend to be much more resentful of my work. I see the work as hindering the things that I want to do. But when I put into focus the important things and allow everything else to fall in where it may my attitude changes. I begin to enjoy serving my family. My heart is lighter and my spirit more joyful. When I am more joyful, the children want to work along side of me. They have better attitudes about their work as well.

So, my goal for this week? I want to focus on my work, on the important. I want to have a cheerful heart and right spirit. And I am confident that if I continue to strive to put into focus the work God lays before me than everything else will fall into the proper perspective. I know that I might not blog as much as I want and I might not have time for myself, but those things won't matter. If I am about the work that God has laid before me I won't feel so weighed down with "extra" expectations that I put on myself. My life could be simple, serve my family and my Lord. That is it. Everything else should be "extra" not the focus. They can eat up way too much time.

What do you have to do in your own life to "refocus"? I have made a list of chores, daily and weekly. I have done this in the past but had gotten away from it when Kate was born. I have set a routine in place that I might be more effective with my work and time management. I would love to hear how you keep your life in focus and any other thoughts you might have about this topic. It is one that God has been laying on my heart for awhile and I am striving to get to the place where He is leading.

Service with a right spirit and cheerful heart. Focus on the "important" things and laying EVERYTHING else down as "extra".