Yes I Can / No I Can’t

Have you ever had a week or maybe two that were just busy, busy, and busy?  Sometimes these busy times are our own making because we’ve scheduled too many things on the calendar but sometimes it’s because of unexpected things that come up in a same week that normally would have been easy to manage.  Or maybe like my week – getting a cold that zaps your strength and causes you to make changes on your calendar.

This past week was like that for me and I didn’t get my blog posted.  We were expecting company for an evening the first part of the week and we were looking forward to their visit.  Everything was under control; meal was planned and groceries purchased, house was getting cleaned.  They arrived and the visit went fine, a fun time with family.  But in the midst of all this I got a cold.  I hardly ever get colds and really don’t remember the last time I had one.  Because of that cold I had to cancel three other events that week that I really wanted to attend, but knew that I needed the extra rest to regain my health.  I had to take care of myself to recover (and not give this cold to others).

Whether our decisions to make changes on our calendar are due from something unforeseen or just because we over-booked, we need to learn to be flexible and forgiving.  Remember, each time we make a change in our schedule, it may cause others to do the same with theirs and that domino effect goes on and on.  Obviously some meetings continue without us but we must be aware of the affect on others.  For those of us who take this to heart, the decision to say “no” is difficult.  To use my week as an example, it was better to not expose others to the cold I had and perhaps jeopardize their health too.   We must learn to consider others in this area too.  Another issue I see as a potential problem is that of pushing ourselves too much for too long which in turn can result in health problems also.  We need to always monitor our lives to keep our priorities in check. There is a “fine line” here to walk on in making such decisions and we must weigh the consequences carefully; such as this past week for me.  Good health is a priority for everyone.

Now the flip side is that we can’t constantly be changing our mind and our calendar all the time either.  This will put stress on relationships with friends, co-workers and family because our decision to change our schedule forces them to make changes too.

James 1:8 tells us that a double-minded man is unstable in all his ways.  The word double has different meanings but the one we are focusing on is “reversal”.  This indicates the process of turning around or in this case a person changing their mind about a situation or decision.  Let us search our hearts to see if there are legitimate reasons for changing our mind or calendar or if we are having difficulty with the issue of commitment in our heart.   To strengthen our level of commitment begins by being faithful to keep commitments one at a time.  The more faithful we are the less double-minded we will be. As the old saying goes, practice makes perfect.

Remember according to Romans 14:12 we will be held accountable to God for our actions, words, and life.  Ask God for help when decisions need to be made concerning changes in your schedule.  Check your motives to make sure the reasons for wanting those changes are pure.  Then proceed with confidence in knowing that God will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; He will guide you with His eye; and will give you the wisdom you need and ask for (Psalm 32:8, James 1:5).

Heavenly Father, help us to always be mindful of our commitment level so that we will not need to make frequent changes to our schedules.  Help us to be forgiving of others when they cancel and help us all to walk in love towards one another; not being double-minded about our commitments but understanding that no is sometimes necessary.