Since my writing/speaking ministry has grown to somewhere past part-time and very close to full-time, I have received advice to get myself out there more–facebook, blog, twitter, newsletters, etc. And while this is excellent marketing advice, I have found it very difficult. Even though I have pruned my life and I am living my priorities, I am still the mom, the wife, and the chief operating officer and administrative assistant of the Garrison household (Gene being the CEO). I have many responsibilities that only I can do. That leaves me with a limited chunk of time to devote to ministry.
I also have found that most of the advice comes from men, who do not have the 24/7 responsibilities of the COO. (I know this sounds sexist, but statics support the fact that women still do the majority of parenting and household chores.) Those who do more often have back up help–backed by a ministry, administrative, etc.
Other women often share with me their similar story. “I would love to write, but I don’t have time. I work outside the home and then when I get home I have my family to take care of. ” However, from men I hear, “I would love to write, I just need to make myself.”
Again, please know I am not man-bashing. I do, however, want to help women answer what’s enough when the world demands more? We all have full lives and there seems to always be someone telling us we should do more.
- Volunteer more
- Workout more
- Take more “me time”
- Spend more time in Bible study and prayer
- Be more like someone else–mother-in-law, sister, the pastor’s wife, the neighbor, (fill in your blank)
I beat myself up with this “more” club for months–trying to do better, but mostly feeling guilty and unworthy because I wasn’t doing more. Finally when I didn’t have the strength to lift the club one more time, God gently lifted my chin from the ground and said, “You are doing enough. But you are trying to do My job. I will take care of the results.”
Really, God? Really? Aren’t I failing you if I don’t . . . .?
God doesn’t often repeat Himself with me even though I’m a slow, hard-headed learner. This time was no exception. His silence reaffirmed His initial words of comfort. ”I will take care of the results.”
A precious woman who lived long ago also felt she was not enough. Her story is in 2 Kings 4:1-7. She was a widow with debt that she could not pay. Her sons were about to be taken into slavery to pay the debt. But God intervened through Elisha. Elisha asked what she had. She replied only a pot of oil. Elisha told her to go to the neighbors and borrow all kinds of empty vessels–and not a few, but as many as she could. Then she was to pour oil from her pot into the other pots. When the last pot was full the oil stopped. She sold the oil, paid off the debt, and had plenty to live on. What she had, a little pot of oil, was enough. God took care of the results.
Where do you feel not doing enough? Are people expecting, even demanding more from you? What God told me is true for you, too. ”You are doing enough. You are trying to do my job. I will take care of the results.”
Listen, it is easy to let stuff and people creep into our lives that have no business there. When our lives are stuffed we will never feel like we do enough. To prune the stuff and people that have no business in our lives:
- Get with God and ask Him to show you what or who needs to go. Maybe seek wise godly counsel in this area. Cut them from your life our drastically limit your time spent there. I know, easier said than done, but you can do it in order to live God’s plan for your life.
- Determine your priorities.
- Plan how your life would look if you lived them.
- Live it. Your priorities first. One day at a time. It’s a process.
Living this way is not failing God. It’s doing what God designed you to do. It’s letting God do His part to work through you and bless you. There will always be someone who wants more from you, but to your heavenly Father you are enough.
