Friend,
Are you feeling overwhelmed by life and all its demands? Do you feel drained of energy and in need of refreshment? Are you finding yourself restless and weary in the world that surrounds you?
If so, you’re not alone.
Life has a way of being overwhelming. Life can feel out of control. It’s very easy to feel quickly burdened by so many things constantly vying for our attention… some worthwhile and some completely worthless.
But, through it all, with each new day we are given, we have a choice to make. We can carry the burden or release it. We can make the right things a priority or make insignificant things a priority. We can embrace joy or embrace misery. We can make each minute count or let each minute count for nothing.
In all these things, we have a choice: we have freedom to choose wisely or choose unwisely.
If someone asked me to share my best advice concerning living life significantly and successfully in this chaotic existence, I would not be able to take credit for the answer. The best advice I could ever share comes directly from God’s Word.
- Come to Christ- Accept Him as Savior.
“And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment” (1 John 3:23).
- Love God. Love Him with all your heart. Make getting to know Him your top priority.
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these” (Mark 12:30-31).
- Love Others
“This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you” (John 15:12).
All these things will not only help the believer navigate more intentionally in this chaotic world but will naturally bring a better path. When we practice keeping focused on Christ, we tend to have more peace, joy, direction, and hope. Keeping His commandments, spending quality time with Him, loving Him and loving others, puts us in the best position.
It does not mean we will never have trials or difficulties, but it does mean we can better hear, discern, trust, love, persevere, and be more at rest during challenging times because we’ve spent quality time investing in a close relationship with our heavenly Father.
I love James 4:8, which states: “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.”
What a beautiful promise!
Brother or Sister in Christ-
No matter your schedule, no matter your commitments, no matter your long “To Do” List, one thing stands true. For all who are believers in Christ, time is always best spent investing and drawing close to our heavenly Father.
Truly, every minute spent with the Savior is a win and a minute well spent.
And, every minute we have been entrusted with… every single breath we have been given… every single second we’ve been allotted… are all gifts given by our Creator. We literally cannot draw one single breath without Him.
He is our lifeline to all good things. James 1:17 reminds us of this truth as it clearly states: “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.”
Your very life is a gift.
This very day is a gift.
Now… How will you choose to spend it?
Will you spend it wisely or foolishly? Will you savor every second or squander every second? Will you make it a priority to put Christ at the center… will He be your focus?
Time invested with the Savior comes with so many wonderful blessings.
The enemy knows this, which is why he enjoys our excessive busyness and childlike distractions. He loves to see us waste our time on worthless efforts and enjoys seeing us squander our seconds as our Bibles collect dust on our shelves.
He understands clearly that the closer we grow in our relationship with Christ, the more effective witnesses we will be in the world around us. He is aware if we focus on what’s most important, we will make a bigger impact, shine more light, plant more seeds, and store up worthy treasures in heaven, as Matthew 6:19-21 reminds:
“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”
He knows if we live out Ephesians 6:11, we will be better equipped in a world growing ever darker: “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.”
He is well aware our weariness will be strengthened through resting and trusting solely in our Savior. He understands, when we surrender to the Savior, we are more likely to praise and less likely to complain when we suffer.
The truth is we are always made better and stronger when we keep focused and close to our Maker… always.
Several verses in Matthew beautifully convey some of the natural benefits that come with putting Christ first in our hearts and lives:
“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matthew 6:33).
“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).
So, friend… will you make Christ a priority?
True success, peace, and contentment in this life only come by surrendering every part of yourself to the Savior and investing quality time with Him. It is growing in relationship with Him and confidently realizing that no matter what happens in life, you will always find Christ close, even in the chaos.