My Thursdays start with praying before school at 6:30 with Dixie students. Every week anywhere from 15 to 25 students come. Lauren and I get up between 5:30 and 6:00 to clean up the kitchen table and put food out all the students coming. I always tell people Thursday is my favorite day of the week. Lauren leaves for work around 7:00 and students go off to school anytime before 7:30 and, for me, it's my off day.
This morning I prayed that we as a group would put off our own agendas, walk with the Spirit or to not stress about our schedules. I've been thinking a lot lately about worry and stress and comparing that to God telling us were free from anxiety. I, also, learned recently that 40 million adults are treated in American for anxiety; the key word there is treated, that doesn't even include people stressing about work or school or just the normal things throughout the day.
In Matthew 6 Jesus says look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Then He ask, "Are you not of more value than they?" He basically says see the birds, they do nothing of great importance. Don't you think your heavenly Father would take care of you better than them? Then Jesus goes on to say it's not like you can had anytime to your day by worrying about it.
I hear these words about I've been thought these words before to, but on Thursdays I can't help but think how much time I waste thinking "it's my day off, so I can do whatever I feel like." And it's not like just on my days off I need to put off my agenda to follow my heavenly Father's.
Why do we get so overwhelmed with our jobs, our free time, or even our ministry sometimes.
Better question, why are we so fast to forget the promises of God?
A quote from Crazy Love p.41 Francis Chan says, "When I am consumed by my problems- stressed out about my life, my family, and my job- I actually convey the belief that I think the circumstances are more important than God's command to always rejoice.(Phil 4:4) In other words, that I have a 'right' to disobey God because of the magnitude of my responsibilites."
The title, struggle, is because I say I want to put off my agenda and put on the Spirits, but I struggle so much to do so.
I know my plans will never amount to anything close to what God has planned for me! So why then to I do what I want and not what my heavenly Father wants!?
So my encouragement to myself and to you readers, put off your agenda and see what God has in store for you! I mean He did created everything don't you think He knows what's best....
