One of my personal assistants, Geneva, also a longtime family friend, was teasing me the other day. “I follow you on Twitter and you never say anything!” she laughed. “I know I’m terrible,” I told her in a defeated voice. “I try, but I just don’t have time to be on Twitter that much and besides, I’m more of a Facebook kind of girl.”
I’m not even on Facebook everyday.
Sure, I have times when I visit the site and update it frequently, but then, there are busy stretches when things get too hectic to do any social networking at all.
I remember when I first opened a Facebook account in late 2009, almost two years ago, after being hounded about it by my staff, colleagues, family, and friends. Determined to be committed, I updated my Facebook status daily and tried to chat regularly. But that didn’t last long. Though I enjoyed the interaction—still do!—holding regular conversations online was too time-consuming. There was always a message or notification vying for my attention, which proved to be a huge distraction.
As a busy wife, mom of four, and entrepreneur, I just couldn’t manage spending so much time conversing. I don’t even talk on the phone that much, so adding online conversations into the mix quickly grew overwhelming.
So I did what I always do.
I began asking God to help me prioritize things and show me where I could be more balanced. He began helping me see that I could not allow anything, not even the most dominant social networking sites, to monopolize my time.
Even now, as I prepare for a new year of homeschooling, I’m being prayerful about how to be a good steward of my time and responsibilities. I’m asking God, “What things do I need to cut back on or cut out altogether?”
I have enough experience to know there’s no way I can effectively fulfill numerous roles in my life without giving precedence to what matters most, and neither can you. So today, I’m adding a reminder to “put first things first” into your daily cup. When you drink down the contents of your cup, like me, you’ll begin seeking the Lord for revelation about the things in your life that may be pulling you away from what’s most important.
Don’t be surprised if God starts leading you to cut back on the amount of time you spend doing certain activities. He may want you to redirect your focus so you can be more purpose-driven and less activities-driven.
If you find that you’re a bit off course, obey God’s nudging to get in step with His plan for your life. When you do that, I can tell you from experience. You’ll be far more productive and peaceful than you thought possible, even with all you have on your plate.
Lord, there are so many things, great and small, vying for my attention. I pray that You help me not to be distracted by the noise and clutter of nonessential things. It is my sincere desire to allow you to order my steps in my daily walk. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
As always, thanks for reading and until next time... may today's cup of inspiration uplift, empower, and encourage you!
