Running Yourself and Your Family Ragged?

An article by BGC President, Jerry Sheveland based on Ephesians 5:15-20

"15Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is. 18Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. 19Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, 20always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." - NIV

http://www.bgcworld.org/mag/0606bgc/89.pdf


Following are excerpts from the article in addition to some of my own commentary... I would encourage you to go to the link above to read the whole article, it is phenominal!

Kissing the Rat Race Goodbye
Three important questions from Ephesians 5 point us toward a saner way to live.

1 - Do you know what you really want?

Have you ever sat down to think about what your personal values are? Do the values that you live out match up with those that you might put down on paper? Do they line up with God's values?

Sherm Swenson's values as stated in the article: "Always put God first in all you do, including your business. Begin each day in God's Word and apply what you read and learn to your life. Expect great things of God. Never forget that it's better to have one person working with you than three people working for you. Always, always place more value on people than on products or programs. Always give God first pick of your profit. Be committed to integrity and honesty. Pursue excellence in all you do. Never, never forget to thank those responsible for making it happen."

Now, those are some values that I would love to live out!

2 - Do you know the season you're in?

"Are you in a season of mothering preschoolers? For education? For pursuing career goals? For deepening relationships? For pursuing God's mission?" We tend to fill up our calendars with the busyness of life - kids activities, work, taking care of the house, golf, shopping, etc. Do you ever hear yourself saying to people: "We need to get together, it's been forever since we've connected."

Jerry shares the story of Gladys Engfield who is in her 80's. "When her husband passed away, she said, “I felt lost. Then came a moment when I realized I’ve got a world of choices and opportunities in front of me. I wonder what God wants me to seize?” Before she gets up, she puts her calendar on one side of her bed, God’s Word on her lap and the blank page of her journal on the other side. As she studies the Scripture, she lifts her calendar to the Lord and says, “Look, these are the appointments I’ve got.” Then she holds up the empty sheet and says, “But your appointments for me are more important.” Gladys knows what time it is." Do you?

3 - Are you driving under the influence?

Is God in control of your schedule? Are you flexible enough to adjust your schedule if God wants you to? I remember the story from Henry Blackaby about a group of college students who were trying to start a Bible Study group on their college campus. They put up fliers and promoted it every way they could think of by nothing came out of it. They decided to pray and ask God to open up doors and promised that they would answer the call however He directed. One day, one of the girls on her way to class was approached by another girl. Even though she knew she would miss her class, she felt God prompting her to go speak with this girl. It turns out that this girl and some friends who had no background in church had started a Bible study but needed someone to help them understand what they were reading! Would you be flexible with your schedule if God was prompting you to be?