EP113 Not enough time. I need help.

Have you ever said to yourself, “There is not enough time to do all this.”?  I have and it's normally followed up with a huge sigh of exasperation! Then the Holy Spirit reminds me of something I heard a few years ago, “God will always give you enough time for what He wants you to do.”

 

Press pause! Does that mean I am doing things that God doesn’t want me to do? Does that mean I am doing things differently from how He wants me to do them? Sounds like it is time to check in with God and find out.

 

Getting direction from God

 

Let's look at those questions again, firstly "Am I doing things that God doesn't want me to do?" Or it could be asked this way, "Am I going in the direction God has for me?" In Psalms, we read,

 

“The steps of the God-pursuing ones follow firmly in the footsteps of the Lord, and God delights in every step they take to follow him.” (Psalm 37:23 TPT).

 

So when we have those thoughts of "There is not enough time" perhaps it is a good idea to pause and check in with God on the direction we are taking. Oh! there is again, that "Be Still and know that I am God" attitude. Maybe a prayer like, "God, am I doing what you want me to do? Am I following the path you have for me? Please show me if I have gone off track and am doing things that are outside your will for my life."

 

Jesus is a wonderful example of only doing what His Father, God, our Heavenly Father, told him to do. In the Gospel of John we read that Jesus said,

 

"I do what my father tells me to do. I do that so that the people of this world can know that I love my father.” (John 14:31 PEV)

An aside: Jesus had complete clarity about why He was being obedient to His Father, "so that people of this world can know that I love my father."  The Passion Translation says it this way,

"I am doing exactly what the Father destined for me to accomplish, so that the world will discover how much I love my Father." (John 14:31 TPT)

So a question for us - "Do we have that level of clarity about the motives of our actions?"

 

Right direction, but not sure on the "how"

 

Perhaps the answer is "Yes," we have clarity on our motives. We are confident we're being obedient to God and going in the direction He is leading us. However, we are still feeling overwhelmed with all that has to be done, "There is not enough time to do all this!"

So then we need to look at the "how" and ask the question, "Am I doing things God's way?"

 

We have the direction, but we need more of God's wisdom on how to take each step. In the book of Proverbs we read, 

 

"A man’s mind plans his way [as he journeys through life]. But the LORD directs his steps and establishes them." (Proverbs 16:9 AMP).

 

We know there are often many ways to get to the end goal, but not all are efficient, and not all are the ways God wants it done.  We need to remind ourselves that God’s ways are higher,

 

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord.
“For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways,
And My thoughts than your thoughts."
(Isaiah 55:8-9 NKJV)

 

God's ways are higher - always - not just sometimes. God knows the bigger picture.

 

God has the bigger picture

 

We don’t even know what will happen later today, or tomorrow, or next year. Receiving a ‘surprise’ medical report or receiving an unexpected promotion at work, reminds us of that.

 

James 4:13-15 tells us,

 

“Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” (James 4:13-15 NIV)

 

And so it is with the plans we make, we might have some ideas on the outcomes, but we don’t know for sure. But God knows.

 

Ask God for wisdom

So getting back to the question, "Am I doing things God's way?" James also tells us we can ask for God's wisdom and He will give it to us, 

 

"If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault; and it will be given to you." (James 1:5 NIV)

 

We need to ask God for His wisdom on the "how."

 

Recently my days have been very full, and I have been asking God each morning to order the tasks I have on the list. I knew my plan wouldn't be the best for me or my family, but I had confidence in God, that He has the bigger picture and He would fit it all together perfectly. And He has - leaving me very surprised at the end of the day with what had been achieved. Thank you God - your ways are astronomically higher than mine!

 

God's plan vs AI

 

Interestingly, last week I was talking to someone about the busy-ness of the week. During the conversation I asked her if the Holy Spirit brought me to her mind, could she please pray for me, that I would clearly hear from God on what tasks to do each day. She agreed and then told me about electronic calendars now using AI to order people’s schedules. 

 

I don’t know about you, but I would much prefer to trust God, the creator of Heaven and Earth, to order my day, rather than a man-made algorithm. As we read in James 4, God alone knows what the day will bring, and what tomorrow will bring, and how we need to prepare for it. 

 

Pride and casting our cares on Jesus

 

So why is it sometimes that we don't go to God to get His wisdom, but rather we press on, doing things our own way and often ending up in a pickle?

 

For me the answer is simple, Pride! I take pride in being independent, knowing the best course of action, not having to ask anyone for help. Yes, I know - plenty to repent of in that list! God has been helping me in these areas for the past 30 years, gently, and sometimes not so gently, showing me that I need to be totally dependent on Him.

 

When are feeling overwhelmed we always have the option of pausing, acknowledging God, yes, there it is again, "Be still and know that I am God." and asking for His help. We can give all of our cares to Him as it says in 1 Peter 4,

 

“Therefore humble yourselves [demote, lower yourselves in your own estimation] under the mighty hand of God, that in due time He may exalt you, casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully.” (1 Peter 4:6-7 AMPC)

 

Humility is key

 

Humility is a key here, because it is us saying that we can't do this alone. We don't have what it takes. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines Humility as, "freedom from pride or arrogance: the quality or state of being humble." (Merriam-Webster)

I recently read this about humility in one of John Maxwell's books,

"What is humility? My friend Rick Warren says, "Humility is not denying your strengths. Humility is being honest about your weaknesses. All of us are a bundle of both great strengths and great weaknesses and humility is being able to be honest about both." My belief is that humility is a choice every day to give credit to God for our blessings and to other people for our successes." (Good Leaders ask Great Questions, John Maxwell, page 33).

 

Humility gives us freedom. As we acknowledge that we need God's help, we take the pressure off ourselves. 

 

A matter of trust

We don't need to have all the answers anymore, rather we trust God and His wisdom.

 

Proverbs 3:5-7 says,

 

"Trust in the Lord completely, and do not rely on your own opinions, with all your heart rely on him to guide you, and he will lead you in every decision you make. Become intimate with him in whatever you do, and he will lead you wherever you go. Don't think for a moment that you know it all, for wisdom comes when you adore him with undivided devotion. and avoid everything that's wrong." (Proverbs 3:5-7 TPT).

 

So today, let's choose to trust that God has the perfect plan for our lives. Let's choose to trust that when we ask Him, He will give us the steps to follow His path.  And trust that He will always give us enough time to do what He wants us to do.

 

Looking for more encouragement?

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