Every day my “to do” list is filled to overflowing. My desire to live intentionally is lost in the sheer mass of necessary chores. Time to think, to pray, to teach, to learn, to worship, to write, and to share God’s truth with others is lost in the forest of busyness.
Many people do not see the need for that kind of space to live thoughtfully. They are content to go and do. In fact, they seem to thrive on doing whereas I tend to feel dryer and more brittle the more I fill my days with activities and chores. I seem to be a “Mary” in a world full of “Marthas” (see Luke 10:38-42 to read about these two sisters). It doesn’t make me better or worse than anyone else; I just happen to thrive on thinking more than on doing. So….what do I do with this.
Part of my answer is something Elisabeth Elliot wrote many years ago:
“One reason we are so harried and hurried is that we make yesterday and tomorrow our business, when all that legitimately concerns us is today. If we really have too much to do, there are some items on the agenda which God did not put there. Let us submit the list to Him and ask Him to indicate which items we must delete. There is always time to do the will of God. If we are too busy to do that, we are too busy.”
― Elisabeth Elliot, Secure in the Everlasting Arms
The question I need to ask myself each morning is “What is the will of God for me today?” If I am in the center of His will, then I will be doing what is important, I will be living intentionally. That is the question I need to have on my mind as I make my daily “to do” list.
Myriads of Thoughts 