Don't Sweat The Small Stuff

Each day, my wife Merideth and I plot out our day, planning how we are going to be devoting our time and energy.  It never ceases to amaze us how few hours there are in a day as we plan how we will spend them.   

One of the things that we work hard to do each and every day is to ensure that we are spending time doing the most important things like spending time with family, eating together, doing life with friends, pouring ourselves into the good work that God has given us to do. 

Are we awesome at this?  Nope.  We trip and fall on a regular basis, and there are plenty of days when we get hijacked by the "tyranny of the urgent," and we find ourselves struggling to be at peace.  But what we've discovered is that when our intentions are to focus on the things that matter, more often than not we do.  

Several years ago, therapist Richard Carlson wrote the bestselling book, Don't Sweat The Small Stuff. In the book Carlson essentially argues that most of us spend almost all of our time and energy focused on things that don't really matter.  And as a result, we have little time and energy to devote to the most important things in life: family, friends, faith, service, etc. 

The second century Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius once wrote, "It is essential for you to remember that the attention you give to any action should be in due proportion to its worth, for then you won't tire and give up." 

Nearly a hundred years before Marcus Aurelius, the Apostle Paul wrote this to the church at Philippi: 

"Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."

May you find ways today to do good, and may it give you life as you do it.  Focus on the most important things today, and don't let the little things steal all your time and energy. Turn your day into a constant prayer that God will order your steps, guard your calendar and fill you with peace. 

And may the grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you now and always. Amen.