Peace in an Over-scheduled World - iBelieve Truth - October 10. 2023

“That’s the whole story. Here now is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone’s duty.” Ecclesiastes 12:13 NLT

Have you ever overbooked yourself?

If we glanced at your calendar, would we find competing events, to-dos, obligations, and responsibilities in the little boxes that hold our lives?

We schedule conference calls while in the after-school pickup line.

We shop for groceries online while watching our kid’s soccer game. 

We divide and conquer our evening hours, one parent picking up from ballet, the other attending a meeting at church, and both trying to coordinate how they can get dinner on the table and finish homework before they drop from utter exhaustion.  

For many of us, we book and overbook ourselves. Our lives are so filled to the brim that we are suffocating under the weight of trying to be everything and do everything.

We need breathing room. 

The world promises that we will be fulfilled if we do more and fill the empty spaces in our lives with activity and things. 

Yet, why do we still feel empty inside when we’ve caught up with, or better yet, surpassed, the Joneses’? Why are our anxious thoughts still untamed? Why do our souls still feel restless?

Because we aren’t living with the proper perspective, for many of us, even the most seasoned of believers, the Jesus lovers, and Christ followers, we prioritize the temporary over the eternal in our lives. 

In a world with countless opportunities, many of which are good and beneficial, how do we live for what matters most?

1. We understand our purpose.

There are numerous books to help people discover their purpose. But we only need one, the Bible. We don’t have to get past the first chapter to understand why God created us. He created male and female in His image so we could have a relationship with Him and bring God Glory. When we embrace that our lives are not about what we can do but what God can do through us, we have freedom from social pressures, cultural expectations, and people’s opinions. 

2. We live with the proper perspective.

Understanding our purpose shifts our perspective from temporary (things that don’t matter) to eternal (things that matter). The most important decision you can make is surrendering your life to Christ and accepting Him as Savior. Knowing that we have eternal salvation changes how we spend our time and resources. We are not driven by the need to prove our worth,  our identity is not dependent on our calendars, and the only approval we seek is our Heavenly Father’s. We understand, as our key verse says that we are to fear God and keep his commandments.  When we keep this at the forefront of our hearts and minds, we can keep an eternal perspective. 

3. We live in peace.

If we know our purpose and live with the right perspective, we will cling to the eternal peace that only Jesus can provide (John 14:27). Christians are not immune to heartache, trials, or life's difficulties. Yet, even in these moments, we can cling to the Truth that we will one day be with the Lord for all eternity, and this light and momentary affliction will be gone! (2 Corinthians 4:17). We don’t need to fill our lives with activity to avoid being still, alone with our thoughts. Instead, we can come before God, lay our fears, worries, and struggles at His feet, and He will give us rest (Matthew 11:28-30). 

Tiny humans need to be fed,  jobs must be worked, aging parents must be cared for, the lawn mowed, causes championed, and friendships fostered. I am not ignoring the responsibilities of our real lives; instead, I invite you to embrace the eternal and carve out the margin to simply breathe. 

Heavenly Father, thank you for the numerous opportunities you provide for your children to do good works that you have predestined for us before the beginning of time. It was not in your design that we are conflicted about where to spend our time, yet sin entered the world, and we daily fight distractions that take our focus off our purpose. Help us live with an eternal perspective and give our souls peace that only comes from  You. In Jesus’ name, Amen. 

Photo Credit ©GettyImages/Kwangmoozaa

Laura Bailey is an author and Bible teacher who encourages others to understand what they believe, why it matters, and how to apply biblical truths to their lives. Laura holds a certificate in Biblical Women's Studies from SEBTS and serves as a workplace chaplain and the director of women’s ministries at her church. She is the author of multiple books and Bible studies; her most recent one on Habakkuk explores Habakkuk’s message of hope Amid Uncertainty. She lives in Upstate South Carolina with her husband and 3 daughters.  She attends Macedonia Baptist Church, where she is the director of Women’s Ministry and teaches Bible studies weekly.  Learn more about her ministry and her books: www.LauraRBailey.com connect on Facebook and Instagram. 

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Like what you hear? Be sure to follow I Wish You Could Hear This on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!