Too many choices

 

1 Chronicles 3–4; Psalms 146–147; Amos 3; Hebrews 9

One of the enemy’s “tricks” to mess with me is an abundance of opportunities, all seemingly good but I cannot be involved in all of them; there are not enough hours in a day. For example, many times I’ve been asked to lead or teach a Bible study and within a day or two, asked to lead or teach two or three different ones. Is the first one the will of God or one of the others?

These days I’m trying hard to narrow my focus rather than be overwhelmed by too many things on my to-do list. Last week I prayerfully prioritized that long list of tasks and chores and selected those that needed concentrated effort. For a few days I was happily accomplishing something. Then I got hit with the ‘list’ that didn’t make the cut and started to feel overwhelmed and guilty. I began to wonder if focusing meant missing the will of God and if my choices were His choices. Was I engaged in His will or was I taking charge and not ‘abiding’ in Christ?

These verses in Hebrews have touched me in the past:

For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God. (Hebrews 9:13–14)

When reading them today the idea of “dead works” raised the same questions about my activities. Am I really serving God? Or does most of what I do fall into the category of “dead works” that have no eternal value?

God also put my attention on these verses:

Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation. When his breath departs, he returns to the earth; on that very day his plans perish. Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God. (Psalm 146:3–5)

While I’m not trusting other people, it strikes me that I could be relying on my own wisdom when I make plans — and what happens to those plans when I die? They will perish with me, unless what I do is in faith and enabled by God; then there will be eternal fruit.

The trouble with my confusion is that it is confusion . . . and “God is not a God of confusion but of peace” (1 Corinthians 14:33). He knows I’ve a problem with ADHD yet it seems Satan also knows this too. Is he using my easily scattered mind to keep me from focusing on the will of God? Even from even being certain of what it is?

Amos the prophet writes how actions and consequences pair up. He gives several examples such as:

Does a bird fall in a snare on the earth, when there is no trap for it? Does a snare spring up from the ground, when it has taken nothing? Is a trumpet blown in a city, and the people are not afraid? Does disaster come to a city, unless the Lord has done it?

Then he adds this seemingly odd statement: “For the Lord God does nothing without revealing his secret to his servants the prophets.” (Amos 3:5–7) This is true. God often shows me why things happen, what is going on in the world and the results, and I know from Him how to pray about many things. At the same time, I am in the dark about my own priorities right now and wondering about this ‘multiple choice’ to-do list. Obviously, the Lord knows what is going on. He may be saying YES to one or two priorities, but I’m not hearing well in the melee of opportunities.

APPLY: The enemy is far too successful with this distraction. I am seeking further clarity from the Lord. I like being busy and having lots on my plate, but this is impossible. I need to yield to God and resist Satan . . . and first need to know what God is asking of me. Some of those opportunities could simply be ‘busy work’ suggested by my enemy to keep me from obeying God in work that matters. Keep praying and paying attention!