It’s Sunday morning. I’m up before dawn, enjoying a hot cup of coffee in my study. I am excited for quiet time today- there’s hours before I need to do anything else. After I am refreshed from time with the Lord, I will exercise, then get ready for church. In my mind, the perfect Sunday!
Until one Sunday morning I overslept. I had thirty minutes until the rest of the schedule kicked in. I needed to arrive at church early for my daughter’s praise team practice. I needed to rush for another ministry. After church was a frantic frenzy of lunch preparations before daughters needed to go here and there. A few errands encroached in on the afternoon.
By evening I didn’t feel ready to start the week and I was irritated. It’s not about feelings; feelings will come and go. It was not a day of rest and worship. I felt disconnected and discombobulated.
Simply put, it was a checklist Sunday. I felt rushed and harried and frazzled, and I didn’t leave any time for love. God’s love to reassure me, to comfort me, to fill me. I had nothing for the week ahead.
I Corinthians 13 warns of this behavior. If I simply go through the motions, doing ministry, utilizing my God-given gifts, but don’t do it from love, am I doing what God authored?
If I get myself to Bible classes and worship services, make certain the ministry spots are all filled, yet for need of prep time, forgo my quiet time with the Lord, am I drawing any closer to Him?
If I serve in ministry and craft messages to touch the soul, yet have lost touch with the Creator of each human being, am I really exemplifying Him?
When my life becomes a checklist, it’s easy to lose love. And even easier to lose sight of the Lover of my soul.
Instead of allowing the Holy Spirit to flow through me, enabling me to fulfill my divine appointments, I rely on my planner and my own strength and always come up short.
I have learned that my planner can’t be the boss of me. I need to learn to check with Him before I say ‘yes’. And learn that sometimes, even to good things, the answer must be ‘no.’
Why?
I Corinthians 13:1 answers it beautifully. “If I speak human or angelic languages but do not have love, I am a sounding gong or a clanging symbol.” (HCSB) In simple language, if I do anything without love, I am annoying.
Ouch! I recoil at the thought!
Maybe you do too.
Would God author such for the child He loves?
No. In fact, He promises just the opposite. In Matthew 11:28 He promises rest when we are weary and burdened, if only we run to Him. He encourages us to take His list He authored for us. He reassures it won’t be too much.
He also promises us in Philippians 4:19 that He will supply all our needs. Need for:
Rest,
Time,
Patience,
Creativity,
Thoughtfulness,
Love.
The list could go on and on.
I have learned my restful Sunday begins long before the pre-dawn hours of that day. It begins with aligning my heart with His. Making sure I consult with Him, before agreeing to extraneous commitments. It involves a heart-check to make sure I am aligning my list with His, my will with His. Then, I won’t worry about annoying Him. Instead, I will exude more of what my Heavenly Father would author: love.
Because He fills to overflowing, we can be rested, connected and rooted in love.
Prayer: Dear Lord, Thank You for only authoring what You will help me do. Forgive me for making the list so long and extensive when You want me to spend more time basking in You. Learning from You. Being filled by You. Thank you for Your promise that I can come to You and be filled. Thank You for supplying all my needs. Please help me better tune into You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.