It's a God Thing...

~ Tracy Frederick

You may have known someone like I have, someone who was always running…somewhere.... always in a rush, and always in a panic. I remember vividly sitting in my office and watched her almost sprint down the hallway and back several times an hour, and usually about to burst into tears.  I always felt so sorry for this woman.  Over the years I’ve been reminded of her as I have watched others in a constant state of panic- always overwhelmed, always overworked and never having enough time to do “it” all. Usually these individuals are just too busy when someone asks for help, or when something is in need, they always announce that they “just don’t have the time.”  I’ve noticed the same attitude reflect in the Lord’s church. I see people rushing to this activity or the next, always busy doing…something... and usually too busy when called on to help with the Lord’s work. One person said to me once: “no one understands that we are busier than everyone else. No one understands our responsibilities, that we don’t have as much time as everyone else!” Well, perhaps it is true; perhaps this person is busier than everyone else.  Perhaps this person has been given less time than everyone else. Really?

Recently a sister asked me, “I want to know what vitamins you’re taking!”  To this I replied, “It’s a God thing.” You see, my God tells me that if I seek His kingdom (the church) first, all these things will be added to me.  All “these things” are my daily needs, what I will drink, eat, wear and such (Matthew 6:33).  In this passage my Lord reminds me that God takes care of His creation, He knows my needs before I ask, understands my wants before I do and wants to bless with my heart’s desire if it is His will, and what is best for me and His work (I John 5:14).

I am covinced that one of Satan’s best weapons to capture our souls in our contemporary society is opportunities for busy-ness and the allusion that we cannot stop; that if we put something else above work, school activities or such things, that we will be destitute- without clothing, home, food or will lose friends, keep our children from having a well rounded activity schedule, or somehow deprive them of an experience of a lifetime, etc. You see, God gives each of us 24 hours in a day-each one of us-no more and no less. No one gets extra. I believe God gives each of us equal time and then asks: Now what? Now what are you going to do with it? That is the part that makes me tremble, shakes me to my soul. It is my choice, we each have a choice, every minute of every hour of every day to either put God first, or move Him and His Kingdom a little lower on our “to do” list until perhaps we forget to even put it on the list. The sobering thought is that each minute I make a decision; I decide what I will do with the gift of this day that the Lord has given me.

Our Father is very clear about our daily priorities:

” 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.” Matthew 22:37-38.

“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.” Matthew 6:24

“He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.  He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.” Matthew 10:37-19

"For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works." Titus 2: 11-14

But we all know this, don’t we? We can all probably quote the scriptures. But, sometimes it is easy to get caught up in the everyday quagmire of the world, or Satan’s pull on us to keep us from seeking God’s will.

So, do I do it all? No. I fail miserably every day, especially lately, and am constantly remembering what I have forgotten to do for the Lord- call on a sweet sister in need, send a text to a new brother, etc. But I am grateful to my Lord that each day I’m given a new shot at it. Each day I get a chance to make it right, to get my priorities right because He gave me another 24 hours to try.  Each day is a gift, one more chance to get it right, a chance to choose Him.  I fear that our schedules and lists for our daily tasks often begin and may end with personal ones- our material wants, not our spiritual needs. So, as I watch others rush here and there in a panic to get “it” all done…whatever “it” is, and grieve when an opportunity to serve the Lord arises and they aren’t there, or a chance to gather with my spiritual family comes and they decline because they are just too busy, too overloaded with stuff to fit it in. When I hear this, I can’t help but think--isn't it a “God thing,” because everything should be a God thing. "Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve..." (Joshua 24:15).