So Much Stuff on Our Plate!

Have you ever uttered that phrase, "I've got too much stuff on my plate!"? What we mean is that our lives have become too busy. Isn't it funny that we teach our children not to take too much food other than what they will eat and not put too much "stuff" on their plates. Yet, here many of us are adults with way too much stuff on our own plates. We've allowed ourselves to be involved with so many things that it has the potential to hinder our well-being.

"Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth." -Psalm 46:10

Personally, I enjoy being busy. I can't stand laziness but sometimes we can become so busy that life seems to consume us. I don't think Christ intended us to live that way. When we do get in that busy, busy mode of running, running, and running, we tend to let those nutritional things that should be on our plate slide off the side, like our prayer and bible study. Sometimes if we do keep those things on our plate, we tend to treat them like salt and pepper and only flavor our lives with them and not really have a full course meal of the things that can give us protein and help us survive.

Sometimes our family time slides off the side of our plate like runny gravy. It just starts dripping off and we barely even notice how far away from those around us we've become. When we're in that busy mode we tend to push aside those things that should be important. We don't mean too. We just start playing with our fork and it just happens.

I think it is a challenge to make ourselves have a balanced plate as a Christian, but I do think it is something we should strive for. It may be we need to just write out our schedule and see what we're actually spending time on. It may be we need to choose what are priorities and what are not. I'm sure for everybody there's a different way to go about it, but the need to keep Christ at the center of our lives is key.

Here are some things you can check up on once in awhile to see if you are on track:

1. Relationships: How is your relationship with your spouse, children, friends and especially the Lord?

2. Time: Where are you spending your time?

3. Activities: What all are you involved in? Are you involved in too much?

4. Priorities: What are your priorities? Do you keep the important things where they should be?

Don't you just love that "Be Still" part of Psalm 46:10? Wow! That requires slowing down, doesn't it? Look at the benefits. "Be still and know that I am God." Taking a much-needed break to reflect on God and His greatness, His love, His power will help us know Him. Even in the midst of all that is going on around us, we need to take that time to spend time with God.

So tell me, what's on your plate?

With Love,

"B"