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It’s highly likely the burnout you and I experience, the frazzled nerves and frayed edges, are a result of taking on jobs God never intended for us, trying to be superwomen or supermen, thinking we can be all things to all people, never saying, “It’s not my job.” And amid all those urgent voices, you and I have shortchanged what is important: the Word of God and prayer.
You cannot allow others—no matter how well intentioned—to cause you to try to be or do what you’re not supposed to be or do. You may disappoint them, but if you’re going to be effective for God, you have to avoid the tendency to try to be all things to all people.
It doesn’t mean a life of ease with no pressures. I’m sure the hours will sometimes still be long, and exhaustion will still be a part of your life. But the more you submerge yourself into God’s Word, the less frantic you’ll be, the more you’ll know what God wants you to do and what he doesn’t, the more peaceful and calm you can be as you face your heavy schedule.
In his booklet, The Tyranny of the Urgent, Charles Hummel has a suggestion, which I think is excellent. He suggests in addition to that daily time of getting to know God, you set aside one hour a week for spiritual inventory, to evaluate what’s happened over the past week and plan for the week ahead. To make certain your to-do list has the important things at the top.[1]
To help you and me in that process, I’ve written a simple guideline to use for that spiritual inventory. If you are serious about getting your priorities in line, about spending time getting to know God, about weeding out the unimportant things on your list of priorities and putting God’s Word and prayer at the top of your list, then you may find this guide for a weekly spiritual inventory helpful.
You’ll find it here.
I hope many of you will consider using this each week. I believe it will be a great help in getting you out of crisis mode and into a more God-centered lifestyle.
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[1] Hummel, C. E. (1967). The Tyranny of the Urgent. Downers Grove, IL; Intervarsity Christian Fellowship.