Today I realized I have not written a blog since March. I am not proud of this, but I do have a an excuse, not necessarily a good one, although over-stated its an excuse nonetheless.
My excuse: I’ve been busy!
Oh how I cringe to write that, but its true. I have been busy. Doing EVERYTHING! I apologize for neglecting my blog; it is more than just a blog to me. I know God has blessed me with this platform as another avenue for ministering His truth. He has given me this gift of writing, but I have not just been hiding it under a bush, but I’ve been ignoring it altogether. My sorry excuse, because I’ve been busy…
In all fairness, I have A LOT on my plate this year. I even wrote another blog about it earlier this year called Portion Control. I know that God intentionally and strategically put me in certain places this year with lots of responsibility for many reasons. But I have been convicted recently about my busyness and to be careful that I don’t loose sight of the purpose in the busyness.
One of my prayers recently have been to do things (everything) with excellency. In fact, that is what God requires of all of us. To do everything we have to do or want to do with excellency. He says in His word:
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord. – Colossians3:23
Every aspect of my life from my Masters studies to my work at the Lebone Centre to my duties in the boarding house and even leading children’s ministry at my church, I have been striving to do with excellency. To work at it as if working for my Father in Heaven and not to please man or myself. But lately I have felt the conviction of the Holy Spirit to be reminded of the greater purpose in all of this stuff that I do.
The Holy Spirit has shown me that actually all of this “doing” is not as important as the “being”. I will find purpose and true meaning in the busyness or the things I must “do” when I understand who I must “be”. Who God has called me to “be” for His Kingdom.
God is not impressed by everything I can “do”. He is not moved by how many things I can cross off my “to-do” list for the day or how well I can multi-task. None of that excites Him. He is pleased with my service and dedication, but what He really wants…what He really longs for from me is just that: ME.
He wants my heart. My full attention and devotion. He wants more of the ‘Mary’ in me and less of the ‘Martha’. He longs for me to strive for excellency at His feet. In my quiet time. When I rise early just to seek His face. That is where He can finish the good work He started in me. That is where He can perfect the ‘being’ that is me.
This is where I have learned that my “doing” even if in the name of Jesus, is meaningless and wasted if my “being” does not reflect the name of Jesus.
How can I (or you) reflect His name and His character if we don’t allow Him to transform us into the new creation? This can’t take place only through what we “do” for God. This transformation only comes through spending real, uninterrupted time, daily in God’s presence. Reading His word and allowing Him to highlight areas that need to look a lot more like Him. This is where God can give purpose to all He has called us to do. We receive this Kingdom purpose in all we do, so maybe now we won’t get so stressed out or discouraged when we don’t complete everything on or ‘to-do’ list for the day. How God longs for us to surrender all we ‘do’ for Him so He can breath direction and purpose into that space.
In all of your ‘doing’ this week, don’t forget about the ‘being’. Yes God wants us to do His will and to do all He has called us to do within our various contexts. But, God longs for us to BE His children that seek His face first everyday. He longs for us to BE in His presence every hour of every day, so we can find rest and refreshment. Only in our BEing for God do we find purpose and meaning in our busy days and busy schedules.
The way the world is waiting for us to realize who God has made us to BE.
Adventures of a School Teacher 