This past week I’ve been on a journey of narrowing down my schedule. At one hand I felt I didn’t do enough. On another hand I was exhausted with the amount of responsibility I’ve taken upon myself.

Can you identify areas in your life where you might have bit of more than you can chew? If so, it is time to ask the Lord some questions about his plans for your life and how he wants you to do the good works that he has called you to walk in.

Jeremiah 29:11-13 KJV "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart."

Are you seeking the Lord wholeheartedly?

The first question I had to answer to myself was: Did I ask the Lord if this new venture was what he wanted me to do? Did I ask him how he wanted me to proceed?

I have a vision board that I sit with regularly to see if I am making progress with the dreams and visions the Lord gave me for the year. Somehow this year as one thing after the other was either completed or on a steady progress (like savings), I felt like I had too much time on my hands. That I am not actively doing something all the time.

I started to learn a new skill and then started to look into possibilities for starting a small business. I said to myself that this is a good thing because I wanted to stay productive. But the fact was, that I actually needed to spend more time with Jesus instead of trying to keep busy all the time. That as my schedule eased up, I had an opportunity to connect with the Lord on a deeper level.

Can you relate to that? Write down any area of your life right now where your are keeping busy instead of spending more time with the Lord.

Somehow in all this busyness, I forgot that I should rest in the Lord. That as we move through seasons in life there is a time and a place for everything under the sun as Ecclesiastes 3 says, that includes a time to rest. And that as I rested in him, I would find clarity of my next steps and peace by experiencing the joy of his presence.

How can we prioritise the will of God for our lives?

The following are questions we often ask ourselves in times of uncertainty:

1. What is my purpose?
2. Am I doing everything that I should if I have so much time that isn’t occupied by doing something?
3. What do I need to change or do in order to feel fulfilled?

To answer these questions we need to spend time in God’s word. We need to draw near to him wholeheartedly and have an honest conversation with him about all our doubts and fears. We need to ask him what we need to change in order to step into the purpose he has for our lives. For me it was to stop focusing on being productive in a worldly way, but rather spending time with the Lord because he has given my an opportunity to get to know him better.

As I took one step of obedience at a time, the weight was lifted from my shoulders. I started to experience peace and joy because of the Lord’s presence. Instead of having a to-do-list that makes me want to hide somewhere, my daily tasks are more manageable with time set aside in the mornings to have a meaningful conversation with the Lord about what he wants me to do for him each day.

The Holy Spirit guides us in all that we need to do if we listen carefully and act on our faith in God who wants good things for us. As we rely on the strength of Jesus and not our own. When we surrender control and obey.

What are small steps of faith that you can take today to live in obedience?

1 Thessalonians 5:18 KJV "In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."

Can I challenge you today to put on a worship song and following the guidance of Psalm 100, go into the presence of the Lord. Take all your questions to him and ask him to guide your steps in any area of your life where you are feeling overwhelmed or uncertain. Write down all the things that the Lord reveals to you as you become quiet and listen.

May the Lord bless you with clarity of mind, with joy unspeakable because of his presence and give you ears to hear what he is saying to you! Write everything down and reflect on the positive outcomes you had each day.

Catherina