Does Your Life Feel Like a Circus?

By Pastor Rey Diaz

Sometimes, especially during the holidays, life feels like a circus. We are trying to juggle work responsibilities, family needs, soccer practice, special events, and remembering everyone on the gift list. All the while we are praying and hoping that the delicate house of cards we have constructed doesn't come tumbling down. 

This year, 2013, there are lots of things you will do.  Lots of things you should do.  Lots of things you could do.  Lots of things you shouldn’t do.  But there is ONE thing you have to do.  There is one main event you cannot miss.   There are so many things hanging in the balance regarding this one thing.  So this year, I’m going to challenge you to have a laser-focus on this one thing.

What is this one thing?  I don’t know.  But you do.  It the one thing God has made clear he wants you to do.  It is something that has God has put on your heart.  Something that is haunting you and you can’t get off your mind.  Maybe it is something that you might have already tried and failed at.  Or maybe you’ve never tried but you know it’s time. 

For Nehemiah, it was rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem.  On arriving to that ancient city from exile, he knew rebuilding the wall was the one thing he needed to do.  There were so many problems he could have addressed.  There were so many issues trying to get his attention.  But Nehemiah decided, ‘this is my one thing.’  When his detractors tried to distract him from accomplishing his main event, here is how he responded:

 So I sent messengers to them with this answer:  “I am doing a great work, and I can’t come down. I don’t want the work to stop while I leave to meet you.” (Nehemiah 6:3)

Nehemiah realized that this one thing is a great work.  It’s his calling.  It’s his focus.  He couldn’t stop or lose his intensity.  He need to build this wall and nothing was going to stop him.

 

This is the challenge before all of us this year.  What is the one thing that God wants for us to focus on this year?  Our family?  Our spiritual life? A habit?  A relationship? A project? A dream? What is it? 

But more importantly, can you focus on your one thing?  When distractions, schedules, to-dos come,   can you say with Nehemiah – I’m doing a great work and I’m not coming down.

In January we are going to look into a different way of living...a way without so much chaos, so much stress...a way of living with margin. I would like to invite everyone to come explore this idea with us, of giving up the chaos and living instead with margin…. Cause life is NOT a circus"

So what is your one thing?  What is your main event?  What is your great work? And can you commit to see it through?  What are you going to change or do to make sure you stay focused? 

So I sent messengers to them with this answer:  “I am doing a great work, and I can’t come down. I don’t want the work to stop while I leave to meet you."

Nehemiah 6:3