I don’t know if you remember the last article that I posted, but it was all about New Years Day. In that particular article, I talked about taking a word and claiming it over your 2019. I talked about praying over this word, and shaping all our actions and plans around this word. This word was intended to bring focus to our new year and avoid chaos. My word was ACTION, with the thought that I needed to execute plans I’d made, not plan more.
But if you followed my writing at all, you’ve probably noticed a lack of writing since this article. And based on its content, it was posted at the beginning of January…as in almost three months ago. I’d like to say that I’ve been taking the time to focus and develop some more writing. Really talk to God about what He wants out of my writing and find a niche I fit into well.
But that’s not what has transpired in the past few months. It hasn’t been a season of action, more like a season reigned by another word- LAZINESS.
Laziness sort of permeated every part of my life. My spiritual walk, my ministry, my eating habits, my housekeeping, my marriage. Pretty much everything.
I justified a lot of it. Typically, January through March is a quieter time of the year, but this year life kept trucking along at a pace that didn’t let me play catch up from the holidays. So I’ve told myself that I’ve been too busy to really take some action.
The lovely Ohio Valley has kept both my husband and I battling allergies and sinus problems ALL winter long. As I’m typing this, I can only breathe through one side of my nose, and I’m anxiously waiting for it to be late enough to take my nighttime allergy meds. It’s OK to be a little bit lazy, especially when I don’t feel good. That’s what I told myself at least.
So many times I’ve said “Next week I’ll start” or “Next month I’ll hit it really hard….I’m just going to sit for a little bit longer”. But the funny thing about that logic is that there is always some other ‘next’ I can call on. Even as I write, I ate the cookie I knew I didn’t need to (Obviously to help with my stuffed up face!). I told myself, “I know I just downloaded the calorie counting app, but I can start that on Monday.”
But God, like a good Father, has been pushing me out of this laziness in some very obvious ways. He’s been telling me something I desperately need to hear. “Put your big girl pants on and quit whining.” He’s been telling me that He has stuff for me to do, but I’ve been to busy feeling sorry for myself or being lazy and wishing for a break, that I’m not able to do it. And that would be a travesty. God having something amazing in store for me and missing out on it because of my own actions. That’s the last thing I want to happen.
So then I start thinking. “God, I know you’ve got something out there for me…big or small….and I don’t want to miss it because I’m too lazy. But I don’t know exactly what it is you want me to be doing.”
And again, like a good Father, He answered me.
I was listening to a pastor talk about Mary, Jesus’s mom, at the wedding at Cana. At this time, Jesus was relatively new into his ministry, not super well known yet. About half way through the wedding, the host ran out of wine. Which was a BIG cultural no-no in that time. You’d end up in every society column around for that mistake! Mary knew that something needed to be done and she longed to help out her dear friends in their moment of need, but she didn’t know what to do. She knew that her son was something special, though. So she told the servants to go to Jesus and do whatever He asked them to do. In the end, Jesus turned gallons of water into wine…lovely tasting wine, far better than the wine that ran out.
The point was simple. Mary didn’t know the solution or even what the ideal outcome would be, but she knew she had to do something, and she knew Who had those answers. It’s the same with me. I don’t have to know the outcome or even the direction to start walking, but I can’t just sit still.
“When you don’t know what to do, do what you already know to do”
It’s kind of a mouthful, so read it again….slowly.
What do I already know to do? I know that in order to keep my marriage strong and God-honoring, I need to proactively put my husband before me and continue to give him the respect as my husband no matter how worthy of it he may seem. I know that when I don’t do that, we tend to irritate each other and not enjoy each other the way we could. I know that we’re not as effective as a team when we aren’t diligent to guard our marriage and honor each other.
I know that I need to eat white meat and veggies or I’ll keep gaining weight. I know I can’t sit on the couch all evening and expect to become healthier. I know that I’m going to have to get out and run if I want to run a 5k in May.
And most importantly, I know that I will not be an effective ambassador of my Savior if I don’t ever spend time with Him. I won’t be able to help the people that God has put in my path if I’m not full of Him. I won’t be able to maintain healthy thoughts and emotions if I’m not spending time filling my mind with His life giving words.
So I need to start now. Not on Monday, or next month, or next quarter, or next year. I need a restart now. And I don’t need to research new Bible reading plans, exercise regiments, or communication tactics. I know enough to take a step in the right direction.
If you’re anything like me, you probably can identify several areas that need some work in your life. Start by connecting with you Heavenly Father. You can start training for a 5k and getting healthy, and still be miserable because you’re not connecting with the One who offers you unconditional love. You can work on communication skills with your spouse, but still not be effective because you’re not plugged into the only power source strong enough to sustain a marriage. So carve out some time each day to read His Word and talk to Him.
However that looks for you, just do it. Don’t wait. Don’t let laziness win. Take the steps you know to take, and trust that God will direct your steps and open doors as you’re walking.
