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Philippians 2:12 NLT

'Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear.'

I find it difficult to remember the years I spent charging around like crazy. I set myself so many objectives, thought my importance lay in my level of busyness, that I was madly spinning plates to stand still. On one occasion while working for a Christian organisation I chaired three meetings simultaneously, having arranged the agendas so that I could attend those parts of the meeting that were essential to me. It was lunacy, dressed up as faithful service of God.

I felt for a long time that I needed to say yes to all opportunities and requests, demonstrating my devotion to God. I was exhausted, having little left to offer into my home life and no time at all to build any meaningful friendship with God.

Paul reminds us that God gives to each of us the power to “show the results of your salvation”, and to take on that task with the utmost seriousness. Once I eventually took the decision to order my life with God, while a great one, it proved challenging to implement. Self-employed, I felt compelled to take work when offered in case there was none next month. I faced the question, is that true faith? Am I leaning upon the faithfulness of God? I think not. So there were great gaps in my Christian practice that became visible as I slowed my pace, gaps I needed to address directly. Creating the appropriate spaces to seek God became my priority. Discovering I didn’t know how to fill such spaces revealed my ignorance of God.

That ignorance had the power to misdirect me back into activities that appeared useful, such as housework. Indeed I even convinced myself I might multitask by, say, vacuuming and praying at the same time. But this didn’t prove effective in deepening my understanding of God. Slowly, as I persevered, I discovered knowing God must take precedence over any other activity. So I chose work that enabled me to grow in my friendship with God, no matter how others might view it.

QUESTION: How do you organise your rhythm of life?

PRAYER: Lord, help me work hard at the things you have given me to do but with faith and trust to be able to stop and rest.