“How many hours do you have in your week?” That was the question I asked a client and their team last week while guiding the discussion. The audience wrestled with the question…
“Do you mean how many hours am I working?” “What about commute time?” “Are you including sleep?” “Are you meaning at the office? Or, are you including my time working after the kids are in bed?”…
“All of the above!” was my response. “How many hours in a week do you have?” They began to understand. We all have the same amount of time in one week.
24 x 7 = 168
Jesus provides us with discernment in coping well with all that is pressing and compelling within the context of our own 168. In John 17:4, the night before going to the cross, Jesus says…
“I brought glory to you here on earth by completing the work you gave me to do.” NLT
“I glorified you on earth By completing down to the last detail What you assigned me to do.” MSG
We can probably think of many things that, in our opinion, Jesus left “undone”. He did not heal every person, fix every marriage, mend every broken relationship, touch every abused child or fix the broken political situation in Rome with all the horrendous abuses it represented. Jesus saw His priorities, and how He invested His 168, differently.
Last week I wrote about my own challenge in resisting the seduction of “hurry”. A number of you responded with similar reflections. What is it about us that can be tempted to unwisely say “Yes”, far too quickly, to things that are of lower value? What can crowd out the things creating higher value? What is it that seduces us into attending to pressing, urgent or relatively unimportant activities?
Here are 10 questions I find helpful in recalibrating my sense of well-being as I engage with Christ, my family, my business team, clients and community. You may find them helpful too.
- Are you operating with a deep sense of contentment in where your life is today? Hebrews 13:5
- Is your life an ongoing “undisciplined pursuit of more” (Jim Collins)?
- Is your life stagnating because your discernment is stagnating? James 1:6
- Do you have a clear framework in place for what you will say “Yes” to and what you will say “No” to? Mark 1:35 – 39
- When was the last time you sat and “heard” – truly heard – the conversation happening in your inner person? Are you satisfied with what you are hearing? Romans 8:5 – 6
- Are you over-valuing things that, in the big picture, are of low value? Matt 6:19 – 34
- Are you operating at a pace that provides your head, heart and hands the capacity to be concerned with the things that concern Christ? Matt 9:36 – 38
- Are you aware of the level of hurry in your own life? Psalm 46:10
- Are you clear on what God is asking of you, clear on how your one and only life brings glory to His name? John 17:4
- How real is Jesus’ promise of “life, life to the full” for you today?
- Asking questions like these helps me stay engaged in the ongoing recalibration required for me to operate with a sense of well-being in Christ. Reflection like this is essential for me.
Is it for you?
A Maverick Application
- Are you willing to pause and reflect on the 10 questions?
- When will you do it?
- Ask God to meet you and help you.
- Make notes as you “hear” what God may be saying to you.
- Who will you share your reflections with?
