Traps We Can Fall Into – 2

Presented by Jenn Miller

What is your definition of a good day? We are considering traps we can fall into regarding work and life. One of the traps I’ve noticed is that I believed a successful day was dependent on how productive I had been. Do you love check lists? I do! There is something so satisfying about crossing an item off a list. It brings a sense of accomplishment. Conversely, seeing a list of uncrossed items at the end of the day can feel defeating, like the day was wasted. I especially felt this when I had my first child. Try as I might, every task I started was interrupted. My to-do list was never finished, and the type of work I was mostly doing (nursing, changing diapers, washing clothes and dishes, and trying to console my crying baby) did not have a ring of importance or success. I longed for the productivity and success my career offered.

A few years ago, a speaker came to my church and asked, “What is your definition of a good day?” How would you answer that? Answers that came to my mind were things like, “Nothing interferes with my plans. Everyone gets along and there is no conflict. It is easy and enjoyable. And of course, everything on my to-do list gets done.” But then he asked, “How would God define a good day for you?” Now that is a very different question. Most likely it would be a day where there is recognition of my need for him, a day filled with repentance and humility. A day where his plan for me (even though it often interrupts my plan) is accomplished. To be honest, those are often hard days, the ones I would choose to skip.

Micah 6:8 describes succinctly what the Lord desires. It says: He has showed you oh man what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. This is in a sense the Lord’s to-do list for you. It is harder to check off because it is on-going, but in these he delights.

The next time you feel yourself frantically working to accomplish the tasks you have set for the day or feeling defeated when you don’t, consider what the Lord has actually called you to. The world will tell you, “You are only as valuable as what you produce.” But your value is rooted first and foremost in the blood Jesus spilled on your behalf. As you seek the Lord’s kingdom and embrace his call, you will find a much truer success than anything this world offers.