Colletta has done a summary here, if you'd like to read it...This week is about prioritising one's activities between Urgent and Important, thereby giving oneself time to do the activities which are of true value.
Well Ha! Ha! How many of us actually find it easy to discern between the two? Trivial stuff is easy to recognise, even if we get hung up on it. Really important stuff is also fairly easily recognised...(does laundry come into that category? Hmmm, only when its school uniforms!!) But the rest of one's daily life????
LBW gives plenty of examples of what is urgent, important, and Bible passages where people have failed to be discerning- the most well known being Mary and Martha, Luke Ch 10 v 39-42, but the only really helpful observation I found was this:
'Decline the good in order to accept the best... stay on course, reaching the destination God has mapped out...for us.'
Knowing that I need to follow God's will is not the problem, its the discernment of 'how' which I find difficult.
Which is the truly important thing out of all the things I'm 'supposed' to do?
Which is the best use of my time?
Which person needs the most help?
Which person can really do with out my input?
How do I choose between a fellow Christian's need and witnessing by my actions to someone far from God?
I could go on, but I won't! All LBW's advice on these questions is to pray, and a verse from Ephesians Ch 5 v 15-17, which ends...
'...but understand what the will of the Lord is.'
BUT THAT'S THE WHOLE PROBLEM, WOMAN!!
I think I've been praying for discernment for the last donkey's number of years, and so far my track record leaves a whole lot to be desired...but perhaps, perhaps....in retrospect... I've been mistaking endurance for discernment...
Sooo, my prayer for this week is...
Lord, please teach me the difference between discernment and endurance; I'm sure there must be one? In fact, Lord, while I'm on the subject, I really need to learn to pray more effectively.
Now THERE'S a challenge for our Lord!!
2 comments:
Thank you so much for sharing this.
I too struggle so much with getting my life in order and my prayers do need some major help.
I think God knows how we struggle with this and if we are struggling it means at least we are trying and our hearts are on the right track.
Wendy xo
You bring me into this conversation :-)
I think it is me :-) !
You know I am the one that is going to paint a witch on my back door :-)
When the weather lets me.... :-)
Then put a sign up that says, the witch is in... you turn it over and it will say, the witch is out. :-)
There is no difference between urgent and important... DO both. One hand one and one hand the other. YOU KNOW YOU CAN DO IT :-) x x x x x x x xx x
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