Do you have a to-do list in front of you that feels overwhelming? And could it be distracting you from what really matters?
It’s so easy for me to get caught up in the tyranny of the urgent and forget what matters most in life: my love for God and people.
Ever since I lost my mom rather suddenly last year, Psalm 90:12 has become even more of a life’s motto for me: “So teach us to number our days, that we may present to You a heart of wisdom.”
This song from Scripture reminds me that my years on this earth are but a breath in the span of eternity and I so want them to count, for the sake of honoring my Lord and living for what mattered.
We all have tasks that can feel overwhelming at times. Whether you keep your to-do list on paper like I still do, and relish the joy of crossing through each completed task, or your list exists in the notes section of your phone or inside of your mind, we can feel that burdening sense of all that we must do.
I realize some of it is important. If you don’t grocery shop, what will you eat? If laundry isn’t done, what will you wear? If the project isn’t sectioned out in steps and worked on daily, when will it be completed? Yet what on your list will matter a year from now, 10 years from now, or in the scope of eternity?
Somehow, somewhere, the almighty To-Do List rose up before women and called itself God. And we continue to bow down to it.
Having been raised with a strong work ethic (or maybe it’s that driven personality I often wish I didn’t have), I used to find it difficult to be “unproductive,” even when I was on vacation, or when I was feeling worn down and my body was saying “rest!” It used to be more difficult for me to slow down and not get things done than to muster up the motivation to do them. Yet the older I get, the more joy I am experiencing in putting aside the to-do list and prioritizing people over productivity, and worship over worry or nonessential tasks.
In Psalm 90:12, Moses asked God to help him realize his days are numbered so he could live wisely. What if you and I were to number our days instead of our tasks? What if we were to make a list of what we wanted to do wisely and well each day (and before we leave this earth), rather than focus on all of the meaningless tasks that seem to be setting our schedules and ruling our days and minds?
When I get to heaven one day, there will not be a reward for the amount of money I made or how efficient I was on my job while I lived on this earth. There will not be accolades for the number of followers I had on social media, or the number of hits on my website, or the number of clicks on my Instagram videos. There won’t be any kudos for having the loveliest seasonal decorations, or being the most organized member of the team, or accomplishing the most at the company. All that we tend to honor or strive for or prioritize here on this earth doesn’t mean much to God in the scope of eternity.
Jesus told us the greatest commandment was to love Him with all our heart, soul, strength, and mind, and love your neighbor as yourself (Luke 10:27). Wow, where are those two commands on my to-do list today? Where are they on yours?
These commands amount to tasks that honor God and serve others. This involves assignments that might not be on your list at all, but instead compete with your tasks and add to your frustrations of being inconvenienced or delayed. God works on a different timeline than we do, so that might be why He isn’t sympathetic toward our rush, rush, rush. And it might be why He continues to convict our hearts to slow way down to love Him and others.
God gave us enough hours in the day to do all that’s needed to fulfill our purpose in Him. The things that may seem necessary to you on your list might not be that important to Him, or to anyone else for that matter. Sometimes we put more pressure on ourselves than we need to.
Don’t let your to-do list dictate how much you will enjoy life, how much time you will spend in a call (a phone call, not a text) to a close friend or family member, and how much time you will spend (not “waste”) on tasks that don’t look like accomplishment to the world, but represent great wealth in the eyes of our Lord.
Lord God, help us to focus on the few things that really matter. Help us to bring balance to our to-do list by making sure that people-related activities or tasks are on there. Don’t let us spend our lives in paperwork, computer work, or busywork that won’t amount to anything one day. Help us to number our days, by making sure they are filled with purpose.
How will you focus today on simple acts of love that will reap the most results eternally? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comment section below.
And for more on focusing on the few things that matter, see my book, The New Loneliness Devotional: 50 Days to a Closer Connection with God.
Thank you Cindi for this post. I’ve been sick for two weeks now and haven’t had strength to do anything. Not even reading the Word. I’ve put aside my to-do list, trying not to feel guilty for not doing it all, and making rest a priority…oh the guilt. Rest is the best thing to do, and yet don’t you get tired of resting as well…lol. It is a need at times, so other things can wait. Please pray that God will touch and heal me so I can get back to his work. Thanks again.
Sweet Ramona, I am praying God’s healing over your body right now so you can resume your duties in His timing and for His glory. Thank you for letting me know how to pray for you, friend.
Dear Cindi, thank you for this great message. Something as shocking as the unexpected loss of your mother is more than enough to bring awareness to what really matters.
Often when thinking of my mother who passed away 18 years ago, I grieve not having spent more quality time with her that was otherwise consumed by misplaced priorities.
Yet her life was meticulously ordered, always, which she sustained needing to seemingly religiously exercise control over that which she saw as her domain and responsibility. Often I wonder what she would now do differently.
Our friend Elisabeth Elliot writes about how orderly her mother was, especially focused on details such as cleaning out the hairbrush after each use. She writes in “Keep A Quiet Heart” about the importance of creating balance between order and our Christian duty to love as Jesus teaches. She draws from the following quote which beautifully captures the essence of your message.
“Great thoughts go best with common duties. Whatever therefore may be your office regard it as a fragment in an immeasurable ministry of love” (Bishop Brooke Foss Westcott, b. 1825).
May your dear Mother rest forever in His everlasting arms.
Every blessing,
Sally
Thank you, Sally, for such beautiful encouraging words. And thank you for the reminder from our friend and mentor, Elisabeth Elliot. I still have my copy of “Keep A Quiet Heart” on my bookshelf and that one is worth a re-read, isn’t it? Thank you for brightening my day.
Cindi
I have just recenly found you and have been abundantly blessed. I am currently reading The New Loneliness Devotional and it is really impacting my life in a miraculous way.
Thank you
Vana, thank you so much for letting me know that you not only found me, but that you’re reading–and being impacted–by my new devotional. Your words have encouraged my heart today. I’m so grateful. 🙂