Choosing What Really Matters

Twenty-four hours in a day. What will we do with them?

We cannot possibly do everything, therefore we must choose the essentials. We must set limits.  I was given this thought by Leo Babauta who wrote the book, The Power of Less. In the first few pages of the book he speaks of the haiku style of poetry. The haiku poem usually is nature related, has limits of 17 syllables and is written in only 3 lines with the first line having 5 syllables, the second line 7 syllables and the third line 5 syllables. These limitations causes the poet to consider carefully what words they will use to express their thought.

I was challenged in my thinking in just a few paragraphs. Oh, to be able to write like that!

So this thought of having limitations challenges me in many areas but I want to focus on just one area – my personal life – and maybe in the days to come, I’ll talk about some of the other areas as well.

My Personal Life

I have only a set number of years that God alone knows. What do I want my life to express?

When all is said and done what do I want my life to say? To speak?

What is the big picture of what I want to be or achieve?

I can wrap it all up in one sentence.

I want my life to be fully devoted to Jesus Christ.

Remember I only have a few syllables (years) to express what is in my heart and so I must choose carefully how my time is spent. If I choose to do things that are really not important to me I am writing words and lines that are wasteful.

If a day goes by and I haven’t spent time with Him, then I need to get back on track to what really matters for me. The Bible says,

Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. –James 4:8

Something else took the place of God if I didn’t take time for Him. The syllables (actions) I chose did not fit with the message I wanted to write.

So I must erase the slate and start over. And that’s what I am so blessed by, when I think of how God shows us grace each day.

…his compassions fail not.They are new every morning… –Lamentations 3:22-23

It’s important for me to express in my few short years (syllables) time with the Lord.

Then there is the aspect of my calling as a mother and a wife. These are also things I want written into my life’s poem.

The things I do for my family are a part of my service to God.

 I will therefore that the younger women marry, bear children, guide the house, give none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully. –I Timothy 5:14

My desire of having a life devoted to God impacts the managing of my home and raising of the children which all become a part of my life’s story.

The managing of my household is not, or at least it should not be, drudgery but a joy because I am serving God as I care for my beloved family.

If spending time with the Lord, caring for my family and raising my children are things that are important to me than I need to learn to put limitations on other things. I want the years (syllables) of my life, though they be short, to have an impact. So maybe I don’t accomplish what the world calls great but this world is not my home. I have another home and in that beautiful place, I want to be there with my family. So now is the time for me to give of myself so that I can obtain that which I really desire.

I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live… –Deuteronomy 30:19

These thoughts go right along with the post I wrote about having a family vision.  You can see I need to keep reminding myself of what really matters!

In the busyness of life, our daily routine, commitments to others, as well as other responsibilities, we can lose sight of what really matters. What we are writing needs to be reworked. Maybe we have too many syllables (actions) and the message we’re writing is getting diluted. For every person, how we rework the poem may look different but let me ask you a question.

When all is said and done, what do you want your life to say?

When you have thought about it, write down the things that will help you achieve that desire. Post it somewhere where you can be reminded and stay encouraged because He will see your desire and He will hear your prayer and bring you to the place you want to be.

But verily God hath heard me; he hath attended to the voice of my prayer. Blessed be God, which hath not turned away my prayer, nor his mercy from me. Psalm 66:19-20