I have always been a type-a multitasker. Things I do to relax are almost always done in pairs, or triads, and that's just the way I have been most of my life. Although this may allow me to get more things on my to-do list done in a 24 hour period, the Lord has been showing me that multitasking is not the best for me when it comes to relationships.
Scripture has so much encouragement for us when it comes to how we use our time. One of my favorite reminders lies in chapter 5 of Ephesians, where it says "Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil." - Ephesians 5:15-16. I have always had the predisposition to try to squeeze the most out of each day as possible, but the truth is that productivity doesn't always equate to wisdom.
The first place I have seen this truth is in my time spent with the Lord. Whether it by prayer, devotional reading or deep study of Scripture, it is most honoring to give my full attention to the Lord. To "be still and know that He is God" (Psalm 46:10) is a command we hear often but learning to truly be still has been a process. The Lord gave himself fully for us in sending Christ, in His word, and in His Holy Spirit, and giving our full attention back to him is an act of love motivated obedience. I love praying while driving to work in the morning and as I am walking from one place to another during the day, but that time brings about a different relational result than setting aside time to sit, be restful and pour my heart out to the Lord in prayer. Sitting quietly allows us to strip away the distractions of swerving cars or people passing by and truly commune with God one on one. I don't think that prayer is "better" in the second scenario, but I do know that the Lord desires and demands our full, focused attention toward him. One practical encouragement I can give in this arena is to turn your phone off or on silent during church. Sit and focus on Gods word being taught without interruption. It truly is a blessing to sit under the teaching of His word - don't devalue that by making it a time to catch up on text messages or Instagram.
The second area the Lord has shown me it is better to do away excess activity is when it comes to conversation with others. I saw this most clearly after getting married, where I have been tempted to continue conversation while I am folding laundry or doing dishes. Obviously life waits for no one, so conversations over various activities happen a lot and I am so thankful to have been given a husband who loves talking while we do normal daily tasks together. But I quickly realized I needed to pray for discernment and be diligent to look for times when it's necessary to put down the towel I am folding and just sit and communicate with my husband, without doing something else. The same goes for just regular conversation with friends. It's easy to be talking while texting, or doing a million other things, but it has been helpful for me to ask myself "Am I making the most of THIS moment?" I may know that what my husband or friend is saying is important to me, but by appearing distracted I have found conversations can often be cut short, or fizzle out just because I am not giving my full attention. It is not enough to say to yourself "well I know I am listening..." I am guilty of doing this, and am seeing more and more how it lacks so much empathy and kindness. In a culture that prides itself on "ultra-productivity" and phones that let you search the Internet while you make phone calls, we have lost sight of the importance of just doing one thing at a time, or even (gasp!) leaving things undone in order to meet the need of the moment. I am still such a baby in this area, and know I need to continue to be sanctified, but I am oh so thankful that the Holy Spirit has slowly been teaching me this valuable lesson. I love the exhortation found in 1 Thessalonians 5:14 which says "And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all." We must be diligent to serve each person and evaluate every situation according to the unique need of the moment. We cannot do this effectively if half our brain is stuck on homework, while the other half takes in words being said to us. May the Lord give us all wisdom to know what is fitting for each day.
XO, B.
Scripture has so much encouragement for us when it comes to how we use our time. One of my favorite reminders lies in chapter 5 of Ephesians, where it says "Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil." - Ephesians 5:15-16. I have always had the predisposition to try to squeeze the most out of each day as possible, but the truth is that productivity doesn't always equate to wisdom.
The first place I have seen this truth is in my time spent with the Lord. Whether it by prayer, devotional reading or deep study of Scripture, it is most honoring to give my full attention to the Lord. To "be still and know that He is God" (Psalm 46:10) is a command we hear often but learning to truly be still has been a process. The Lord gave himself fully for us in sending Christ, in His word, and in His Holy Spirit, and giving our full attention back to him is an act of love motivated obedience. I love praying while driving to work in the morning and as I am walking from one place to another during the day, but that time brings about a different relational result than setting aside time to sit, be restful and pour my heart out to the Lord in prayer. Sitting quietly allows us to strip away the distractions of swerving cars or people passing by and truly commune with God one on one. I don't think that prayer is "better" in the second scenario, but I do know that the Lord desires and demands our full, focused attention toward him. One practical encouragement I can give in this arena is to turn your phone off or on silent during church. Sit and focus on Gods word being taught without interruption. It truly is a blessing to sit under the teaching of His word - don't devalue that by making it a time to catch up on text messages or Instagram.
The second area the Lord has shown me it is better to do away excess activity is when it comes to conversation with others. I saw this most clearly after getting married, where I have been tempted to continue conversation while I am folding laundry or doing dishes. Obviously life waits for no one, so conversations over various activities happen a lot and I am so thankful to have been given a husband who loves talking while we do normal daily tasks together. But I quickly realized I needed to pray for discernment and be diligent to look for times when it's necessary to put down the towel I am folding and just sit and communicate with my husband, without doing something else. The same goes for just regular conversation with friends. It's easy to be talking while texting, or doing a million other things, but it has been helpful for me to ask myself "Am I making the most of THIS moment?" I may know that what my husband or friend is saying is important to me, but by appearing distracted I have found conversations can often be cut short, or fizzle out just because I am not giving my full attention. It is not enough to say to yourself "well I know I am listening..." I am guilty of doing this, and am seeing more and more how it lacks so much empathy and kindness. In a culture that prides itself on "ultra-productivity" and phones that let you search the Internet while you make phone calls, we have lost sight of the importance of just doing one thing at a time, or even (gasp!) leaving things undone in order to meet the need of the moment. I am still such a baby in this area, and know I need to continue to be sanctified, but I am oh so thankful that the Holy Spirit has slowly been teaching me this valuable lesson. I love the exhortation found in 1 Thessalonians 5:14 which says "And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all." We must be diligent to serve each person and evaluate every situation according to the unique need of the moment. We cannot do this effectively if half our brain is stuck on homework, while the other half takes in words being said to us. May the Lord give us all wisdom to know what is fitting for each day.
XO, B.
Post a Comment