Since its inception I’ve had to make some decisions in regards to this “31 Days” series. I know God nudged me to do it. I am committed to it. I have most of the posts queued. They simply need a bit of content added and to be tweaked then posted. But a couple of times, like this weekend, other things have had to come first. Things like a meeting at church and having a long conversation with a friend. I had to choose to delay the posting for a day to take care of the other things. At that time they were most important. I should have known it was test to see if I have learned what He has been teaching me.
Sometimes my list of priorities don’t match His. He helps me to keep my blog in balance.
I like a list. I like plans. I like specific instructions. I keep them all in my custom household notebook. I like to not have to have faith to know that what I am doing is right. There I said it. I want something tangible (like said list) to show me I am doing the right thing. But sometimes I just get a check in my spirit about things. For years I followed a list of priorities. Everyday I would go through the same grind. Did I meet with God? Did I meet my husbands needs? Next, did I take care of the kids? Then, my husband would call me to bring him lunch at work and one of the kids would start vomiting all over the floor. Now what? Do I ignore our child’s illness and take care of my husband or do I care for my sick little one? What if we saved money for a new front door but the body of Christ needs that exact amount for a missions trip? I feel led to give it but it doesn’t meet the criteria on my list. I guess that is why I have an issue with the “balance” from this priorities list that I used to seek. I looked all through His word to find something that would lead me to a scripture that tells me how to find the coveted balance in my life. I came up short. What I did find is this:
For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and?a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; … Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
There is a time for everything. Nothing was excluded. What this taught me is that God is God and we are not. It is up to Him what we do with our time. Sure, we can choose to ignore Him and do our own thing but if we want the most out of this life then we walk in His will. This lead me to one conclusion.
There is only one priority: God.
Read Psalm 37, the entire chapter. Before reading ask God to give you revelation of the scriptures and be sure to highlight any that stand out to you and be sure to take notes. Go ahead and read it and then come back. I’m sure that you, like many others, have tried to break down your life and relationship with God strictly into priorities. I did it. I lived it for a long time. The problem is that it isn’t exactly biblical. It wasn’t until I was in direct disobedience with God for the umpteenth time that I finally understood. I had put restrictions on God.
Don’t act thoughtlessly, but try to understand what the Lord wants you to do. (Ephesians 5:17)
Here is the list I used to adhere to:
- God
- Spouse
- Children
- Home
- Ministry
- Work
- Church
Or maybe you have seen another version:
- God
- Family and Home
- Church and Ministry
These are inaccurate because God directs our steps. Please do not confuse this priorities list for God’s divine order of authority. That is completely different. Are your children really less important than your husband? Is the body of Christ really less important than your housework? According to the lists above that is the case. There is absolutely no scripture to confirm that the above list is God’s desire for us. Instead, there is much scripture to prove otherwise. John 13:34 commands us to love as He loves. Does God love or show love to any one person more than the other?
As women we are naturally inclined to try to please people. If we have a list of priorities then we can use it as a safety net. The problem with this is that it can interfere with the work God has for us. You should not be a slave to the order of this list. God is a God of order ? His order.
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. Isaiah 55:8
Instead of the list we are accustomed to we should view our priorities this way: God is the only priority. Our being obedient, submitting to our husband, teaching our children, caring for our home and serving our community are all examples of making God our priority because it is in line with His word. We do all things unto Him.
Jesus said to him, “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 22:37?40
Authority aside, our spouse, children, church, ministry, work and home are all equally important under God. Our relationship with God is key in knowing what should be a priority and when. There may be times when you have to find a babysitter so that you can go and minister to a depressed woman because God asks you too. There may come a time when you have to give a large amount of money to church instead of investing it in your home because He asks you too. God may ask your husband to give up his job to start a church. Your family is your ministry. The church is your family. Home is work. They are all of equal importance and revolve around God who is the source of all. The closer we are to God the easier it is to know His voice and His will.
I still like the list.
With all of that in mind I do still keep a similar list in the back of my mind for times when I don’t hear God’s specific will and I have to make a decision. Just recently I was asked to be a part of something very big that would have potentially brought a lot of revenue to my blog. Even though I really wanted to go, I declined. I did that because in my heart I knew my children needed me more than we needed the money. They had just lost their father and were having a hard time with adjusting. If I’m completely honest they are still having a rough time but I’m needing to spend less and less time right by their side. Maybe it is because I’ve hidden His word in my heart that I already knew His will. Maybe it is because I scanned the little priority list in my head and knew what to choose. I don’t know but I do know that I use that list less and less now and I do know that many times letting it go freed me to do God’s will. I just wake up each day and ask, “What would YOU have me to do today, Father?”
This does not mean we should not have a similar go to list or plan our days. It simply means we can’t be a slave to these things. We are to serve Christ.
What does all of this mean for our blogs?
Be flexible. There may be days when God puts a message on our heart that simply must go out. There may also be days, weeks, or like me recently, even months when God tells you not to step foot near the computer. He may have you change content, methods, attitude, or even in some cases location. We need to listen and obey. We can’t be stuck to a man made list of what we should and should not do. Sure you may lose readers if you do what God says. You probably won’t get as many hits if you don’t post regularly. You might not get as many comments as you hoped. You might not like changing the name of your blog because of the personal conviction God gave you about it but do what He says. There is a time for everything: His timing. We are blogging for Him after all, aren’t we?
And that opportunity I was offered… had I taken it then I may have missed out on an even better one. After the last year or so of just chatting and helping from an outsiders view, I was asked to come on board with a women’s ministry I love and highly respect. that
His timing.
Find the rest of the series here: 31 Days to Online Ministry*****************************
Also check out:
- Missed BlissDom 2011? Get It Here. It’s just like being there!
- ? 31 Days to Build a Better Blog – Easy step by step ways to improve your blog presence!
- Simple Blogging. – Don’t have 40 hours a week to spend on blogging? This E-book helps you grow your blog with less time on the computer.
Amy, I love the balance in this article… yes, lists are great and sometimes He needs us to be flexible with them. Thanks!!
This was just wonderful! Well said, and full of God’s Wisdom! It makes me smile because I, too, am a listmaker. God has given me the same redirection on my “list of priorities” and view of the ministry He has chosen to accomplish through my life – surrendered to Him, instead of a list.
Blessings to you today~
Jennifer
Food for thought. I always find the way God works things to intertwine within my life experience amazing, awesome. We’ve had an interesting week and the key verse that has been repeated at church is Ecclesiastes 3:1-8. Now reading your post, I see how God is using that verse in many other ways in my life.
You’re such a great example of listening to God!
Amy,
Thank you so much for this post. It really spoke to me. The last few days, I’ve been struggling with knowing what to do with something I started not too long ago. I desperately want to do what the Lord wants, but I don’t want people to think that I started something but am not finishing it…a fear of what others might think. You’ve encouraged me so much in a couple of your posts about how we need to let things transform. I appreciated this statement you made: “There is a time for everything: His timing.” I truly believe God is trying to open doors for myself and my family but to do so means letting something go that I recently started. Timing is so ironic. Timing of your posts, timing of me deciding to pull out a teaching I have on CD from a Bible study teacher the other day that I’ve had for years and hadn’t listened to in a long time and hearing once again that sometimes we start something that is perfectly good and maybe even exactly what we’re supposed to do. But then God wants us to move on and leave it behind for the next thing He’s got planned for us. Ironic timing. I think maybe God might be trying to tell me something, don’t you?
Sometimes it’s so easy to get caught up in worrying about what others think that we stay in what we are doing when it’s time to move on with the new thing God has for us to do. In your post “Allow your blog to transform over time.” you said the following things:
“I also put pressure on myself to follow through with things my flesh had promised my readers but that my spirit told me to humble myself and back out of….On occasion we need to step back and reevaluate. We need to institute changes. We need to allow Him to transform us and let that reflect on our blogs so that we can be a testimony to those in need of witnessing it. We don’t belong to our readers. We won’t answer to our readers on judgment day. We will answer to Him and I don’t want to miss the opportunity to be used to help in the transformation of the life of someone else.If out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks then out of the overflow of the heart the fingers must type. Stay in His word. Remain in prayer. Serve His people. Allow Him to transform you. Let your fingers type a reflection of that change. Depending on your gifts and talents that may make an appearance as a photograph, a recipe, a craft project, or even as a bible study. As long as it is what He has led you to and what you are sharing for His glory then we are doing the right thing.”
That just really spoke to me and I so appreciate you sharing that with us. I think I’m putting pressure on myself for something that I need to let go. I need to not worry about what others think about it and just take the step of faith. My husband just said today to just let people come along with me for the ride. Just share my heart on my blog and make the changes. Walk in faith and grace. Trust that God will continue to guide my footsteps and direct my path. It’s all for His glory.
Amy,
Thank you so much for this series. The hands on information has been a huge help to me in so many ways. It boils down to making God our number one priority in all that we do, including blogging. Sometimes we think we need to do this or that simply because we think it is expected of us. What you are sharing is that it’s okay to not follow the expectations but rather follow the voice of God directing our steps. What freedom that brings! For instance, I have thoughts running through my mind all the time; and I think I need to write about that. But then something comes up with the family (school sports right now for both kids) and I don’t get to finalize the thought. It’s really okay.
You have given me much food for thought! Thanks again! Blessings to you and your family!
Thank you for the encouragement, Amy! I needed to hear that. I, too, am a list- maker, and then find myself confused and angry when “life” happens outside of what I have listed. With a baby in the household, I am again learning flexibility.
Balance. God’s balance. And obedience.
Yup, that about covers it.
Great post Amy! There are days it is a very hard balance! I had no clue how much hard work blogging would be – but it’s a true delight! I am enjoying your series
!!! Courtney
This post is both Beautiful and Inspired! The key is abiding in Him, hearing his voice, and OBEYING. We so badly want hard and fast rules — “no more than 2 hours online a day” or “five blog posts a week”– because they are easier to follow than abiding in Him. Abiding means we have to have TRUST and take time to commune, breathe Him in. It’s way harder (but far more rewarding) than the legalist’s path. (Preaching to myself…..)