Perspective

Just got back from vacation last week. Nothing like a road trip and time away from the daily grind to give you a little perspective. We were up in the mountains where the air is cool, and somehow those long-range views remind you that the world is very big, and in the grand scheme of things, our troubles are momentary and small. Within the first day or two, I ran across the passage where Jesus tells his followers not to worry. He reminds them that worry will not add an inch to their height or a moment to their days. He also reminds them that "your Father knows what you need." So "seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be added to you." In my gut, I knew God was going to talk to me about this, even before we arrived.

I've been working mad hours in the last few months, all out of a sense of obligation because times are tough. It just seemed wrong to turn down any opportunity that came my way when there is no guarantee that another opportunity will arise tomorrow. But this passage and that "still small voice" reminded me of two things. First, I'm not God. It is not my obligation to fix the world. Second, if I refuse to say no once in a while, I am acting as if I believe the world does indeed depend on me and God can't quite be trusted. By refusing to say no, I am also demonstrating that I don't really believe Jesus' words when he says, "The Father knows what you need....Seek first..." There's an element of trust involved when we say no, when we set a few margins around our lives, when we make time to stop and listen to God, to listen to our families, to have dinner with them, to make room for friends or for our spouses. It takes an element of trust to do all of these things instead of simply working all the time as though our existence depended solely on our labor.

Lesson learned. Writer Randy Alcorn once wrote, "What do you need to say no to so that you can say "yes" to the things God is asking you to do?" I know in my "knower" what I need to say no to. Do you?