November 11, 2018

A good friend of mine shared something with me this weekend. He said it might be kinda corny, but I don’t think it is! I think it’s very wise.

1/3 of your life you spend sleeping. 1/3 of your life you spend working. 1/3 of your life is yours. What will you do with your 1/3?

Wow. Not corny at all, right?? Totally inspiring.

It made me think about all the things we need to try to fit into our 1/3.

The important things: time with God, time with family, time with friends, helping others, going to church, acts of service.

Then the mundane things that need to be taken care of: bills, laundry, errands, cooking, helping kids with homework, dishes, bathing, etc.

And then there are the things you just love to do, the things that bring you peace and rest: fishing, reading, going to the lake, hiking, crafting, etc.

And what about finding a true purpose or a calling? Something you do because it makes you come alive because you know you are contributing to the world in your own unique way. For some, this is their job, and what they get paid to do gives them tremendous purpose and joy. For others, we need to find this fulfillment outside of our jobs.

A few years ago, I read The Best Yes by Lysa Terkeurst. What stood out to me the most was when she wrote about making the time to do whatever you’ve always wanted to do. Stop saying you’ll do it “one day” when you have time. Make time now! Maybe you’ve wanted to go back to school and get your degree, start an after-school club for kids in your neighborhood, get out of debt, get in shape, learn how to cook, etc. For me it was writing. Lysa Terkeurst said to just put it on the calendar and make time now. So I started a blog three years ago. Still, my biggest frustration with it is not having enough time. It seems like a “hobby” or a luxury that can happen only after everything else is taken care of. So it still doesn’t happen as often as I’d like. But I’m trying!

What will you do with your 1/3? When you die, what would you like people to say about you? Have you ever been to a memorial service where people struggled to say nice things about the departed? I have. “Wow, she was a character, wasn’t she?” Awkward laughter. If you live your life only for you, if you hide out, if you keep your love and energy all for yourself, you are wasting your life. You must give yourself away to make any difference at all!

What I would like people to say about me when I die is that they could see Jesus in me. I want people to see Christlikeness in my marriage, in the kind of mommy I am, in my friendships, in my writing, in my women’s ministry, in the way I serve my church family, and in the way I see every other person in this world as a child of God.

An even greater concern than what others will say about me when I die is this: What will the Lord say to me when I see Him face to face? I want Him to say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

Matthew 25:19-21

After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. “Master,” he said, “you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.”

His master replied, “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!”

Jesus told this story. He wasn’t just talking about money. He was talking about everything the Lord has entrusted to you. Your time, your talents, your experiences, your money, your family, your job…He wants you to invest everything you have into serving Him. And one day, may it be so to me, He will say, “Well done, good and faithful servant!”

I pray that this gives you something to think about and pray about about. What will you do with your 1/3? Spending your 1/3 wisely includes knowing when to say NO. You cannot say yes to every single thing. So you might need to say no to some things that used to be right for you, but are now taking away from your priorities in this season. You say no to requests on your time that will cause you to sacrifice time with your family or time away from pursuing that dream. This takes courage. And determination. But when it's all said and done, and when this life is over, I bet you'd rather know that you truly lived.

“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”

-Mary Oliver