Ahab went one way by himself,
and
Obadiah went another way by himself.
(I Kings 18:6, NLT).
I listened as some friends discussed their schedule. Stress came to the forefront as the impossibilities of living with the pressures became evident. As they stressed the all consuming need to manage their schedules, I found myself becoming stressed about my schedule. By the end of the discussion, we all were at the peak of stress. Talk about peer pressure!
The stress of busyness consumes us until our primary concern becomes getting everything done. Living with a mission and purpose disappears in the race to complete tasks and responsibilities. Eventually, life becomes a maze of problems and pressures to manage. Missional living disappears.
A perfect example appears in I Kings 18. Life boiled down to the pressures created by the famine. The need for grass to feed the animals became the primary focus for King Ahab. It appears to be so important, that he did not trust any one but himself and Obadiah to find it, an atypical job for a king and his "right hand" man. It strikes me that the mission of King would not include looking for grass. When we become consumed with problems, we miss seeing the bigger picture.
So what do we do when the pressures of life consume us?
21 Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope:
22 Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.
23 They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
24 I say to myself, "The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him."
25 The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him;
26 it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.
(Lamentations 3, NIV)
Refocus.
Speak the truth: God is my Life. The goodness of God is revealed through placing my hope in Him rather than focusing on problems. I will seek God.
Become quiet . . . completely quiet . . . release the pressure and stress . . . give it to God . . . experience the peace of acknowledging the presence of God . . . the power of God . . . the love of God . . . the faithfulness of God . . . actively place your hope in God . . . become consumed with God.
Learning with to you to be consumed with the presence of God rather than pressures and problems . . .
Shalom,
Kerrie
(All devotions written by Kerrie Palmer ©2008 All Rights Reserved)
