No Less, No More, None Other

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“And your ears will hear a word behind you, ‘This is the way, walk in it,’ whenever you turn to the right or to the left.”

Isaiah 30:21

I suppose it’s part of our culture, that all of us have incredibly full lives. This time of year is particularly difficult for me as an air conditioning repairman. I enjoy having a full day’s work scheduled, but when I then get calls from 20 more people that need service that day, the pressure I feel to do more than I possibly can borders on insanity.

I read somewhere years ago that my responsibility was to do “no less, no more, and none other” than what God has assigned to me for that day. I don’t recall who said it, but I remind myself of these words every day, and find great comfort in them.

Isn’t burnout the result of pressing forward without seeking the Lord, running ahead of Him, trying to do more than He asks; more than we could possibly do? When I consider my options and the corresponding consequences, the right question for me becomes: “What is God asking me to do right here and now?” rather than: “How can I possibly get everything done, and make everyone happy?”

Did Jesus ever hurry, or was He anxious? Would He put a load on me that I can’t carry, or have I taken it on myself, against His will?

And one step deeper: “Will I trust Him to lead me? Will He really keep me on the right path if I seek Him?”

About this photo:

I was walking at Camp Tejas, marveling at how dead the place looked. Where in previous seasons the ground had been covered by a beautiful array of wildflowers, there was nothing. Even the weeds appeared to be struggling to survive: all as a result of months of drought in central Texas. Then I noticed the small flowers at my feet, down between the weeds. I later learned that these 1/2″ blooms are called “Spring Beauties”. How often do we step on or over such beauty when our focus is on “more important” things?

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