Unless the Lord builds the house,
those who build it labor in vain.
Unless the Lord watches over the city,
the watchman stays awake in vain.
2 It is in vain that you rise up early
and go late to rest,
eating the bread of anxious toil;
for he gives to his beloved sleep.
{Source}
This past year I have spent a lot of my time and energy on getting rid of much of our possessions and lately my souls cry has been "more of you God and less of me!" But I have not been able to combine the two. It has actually been a struggle. It felt like minimalism was higher on my priority list that anything else. I just wanted a clean house and then I could do life. How many of you know that is darn near impossible with 4 kids, 2 boxers, 3 cats and 2 rats??
And so I've asked forgiveness for this obsession but, still wanting a clean house, I was not sure how to reconcile this within me. To be clean, but not too clean; to have the house tidy, but not obsess over it; to allow my children to make messes, but not too much mess... this was my problem... until I read this verse. Do not toil anxiously. Wow. That really resonated within my spirit. Every day that I did not seek God's plan for my day I was toiling anxiously. Seriously. God always gives me the perfect to do list when I ask him for it. The to do list I give myself? Way over the top.
And so I have found that resting in Him, asking Him what he wants me to do for today and then striving to do only these things has made an amazing difference.
It's like I'm finally allowed to not have to work myself to the bone all day and night, and fall to bed exhausted, wake early and do it again. But instead I can enjoy the things I was able to get done and know I can do the others on another day without being stressed about them. It also makes sure that I seek His will for my day each and every day, and in such a practical way. It's the small things that bring us closer together, the daily sacrificing of my own plans and agenda and letting Him work through me and in me.
