Whether it’s on our jobs, in our family life, or in our lives period, many of us are guilty of spreading ourselves too thin. We are trying to get too many things done in a limited amount of time. This can cause us to compromise the quality of our lives and work, because we’re taking on more than we can chew. It can lead to things constantly backfiring and causing more stress than we could ever have imagined. This cause-and-effect syndrome is often what we refer to constantly putting out fires. When we’re fully engaged in this, we don’t recognize that our own habit patterns are adding more fuel. We’re investing our energy and resources in a way that works against us rather than for us. Spreading ourselves so thin that life is just a list of tasks, many of us are lost and don’t even recognize ourselves anymore. We need to make some changes so that life becomes the thing of beauty God created it to be.
Trust God
One of the changes all of us should make is to trust God more. The wisdom of Proverbs 3:5-6 tells us to trust in the Lord with all our hearts, and don’t lean on our own understanding. We should acknowledge Him in ALL our ways, and He’ll direct our paths. This verse is especially important when it comes to our decision making and choices. Some of us don’t know how to say ‘no’. When something comes up, we feel as though we must be involved when there’s too much on our plates already.
Romans 8:28 tells us that God is the One who causes all things to work together for our good. He’s in control, and we should remind ourselves of this continually. We are called according to God’s purpose, and He works everything after the counsel of His own Will. Spiritual maturity in Christ requires that we invite God’s intervention in our choices and decision making. He’ll tell us when we ought to stay put, or when we should take on something new and expend our resources of time, energy, and finances. He will direct our paths, and He will never steer us in a wrong direction.
Know your limitations
I know people on their jobs that have a trillion hours in their paid-time-off banks. They refuse to take time off and insist that everything would fall apart if they weren’t at work to take care of the problems and issues that arise. If the people who feel this way left their jobs for even one month, they’d come back to see they were replaced, and it was as if they had never been there at all. It is good to know one’s worth, but it isn’t beneficial to overburden it by overestimating our abilities or contributions. People figure things out and they move on, it’s what they do. It’s good to play a valuable role but we ought to know our limitations and not try to solve every problem, because we can’t.
Avoid covering up
Sometimes we give in to adding more on our plates because we are trying to avoid feelings of emptiness. A nagging feeling that we might be missing out on something or the need to be continually engaged in an activity could be a way of covering up a larger issue. Some of us like having our plates full so we don’t have to deal with emotions and feelings that are uncomfortable. Being constantly busy means we don’t have to think about loneliness, problems, or troubling memories. Very often this can lead to burning ourselves out.
The wisdom of 1Peter 3:3-4(NLT) tells us, “3 Don’t be concerned about the outward beauty of fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes. 4 You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God.” God also tells us in Psalm 46:10 to be still and know that He is God. These verses express the importance of quiet meditation and reflection in our relationship with God. Only the Holy Spirit can recharge our batteries, and we must be diligent about the practice of giving God the time He deserves. We simply can’t do for ourselves what He can do for us. We must be very conscious about not overscheduling our time or overindulging ourselves. It is imperative for abundant living that we make time for intimacy and quiet reflection in our relationship with God through the Lord Jesus Christ.
Depend totally on God
Isaiah 55:8-9(NLT) tells us “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the LORD. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.” The nearest star is believed to be 25 trillion miles away. It is estimated that it would take over 4 light-years to get to it, which considering human capability today, would take over 80,000 years to travel. The place of God’s throne is exponentially higher than this. So, when He tells us that His thoughts are higher than our thoughts, the distance between the two is incalculable.
This is why we should not rely on our own understanding, because we don’t always know when new opportunities will end up being a new disaster. Instead of overburdening ourselves, we should depend only on God, and again, we must invite His input into our decisions and choices. If we do this, we won’t burn out from being stretched too thin. The Lord will help us steward our time and resources wisely, so that we can live our best lives.■
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
“Stretched Too Thin”, written by Reverend Fran Mack, edited by Kim Times for Sundie Morning Sistas ©2019. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! SMS is dedicated to inspiring and encouraging Christian Women through the Word of God.