At
times, the good things that we constantly add to our schedule become the enemy
of the best things that God has planned for us. Martha felt this frustration as
she worked in the kitchen alone, because Mary sat at Jesus' feet, listening to
the words of living water that He spoke (Luke 10:38-42).
We
allow the blessings to escape us, unless we recognize their significance and grasp
them. A quick perusal of the moments of our day will prove to us that, in our
desire to stay active and productive, we often pursue less important activities.
We
run our self ragged, and often our children, family and friends as well, by
filling our schedule with good things, which God has not called us to do. This
causes us to miss out on the intimate moments with our spouse, our children and
our Lord, which they look forward to having.
When
we fill out our calendar for the month, let us put as our paramount priorities:
worship with our church family; date nights with our spouse that we can both
look forward to; and daily playtime with our children, giving them our unhurried,
undivided attention.
It
is so important to let our spouse know that we care for them more than anyone
or anything else in this world. We do that with both word and deeds. We show
appreciation for who they are and what they do for us, and we serve them as if
we are serving the Lord (Colossians 3:23).
We
cherish our mate, and we let them know that spending time with them is as important
to us as it is to them. Planning alone time, even if it is at home when the
children are in bed, pays big dividends in our energy level as a couple, at
work and at play.
Taking
time to snuggle, gazing into each other's eyes, chatting about mutual
interests, worshipping God together, serving as a couple in a ministry, reading
a book together, watching a movie or a sporting event, etc. will increase our
intimacy with each other in every area.
Prayer:
Father
God, in order to have security in this world, or to make sure that our children
are well-rounded and get to experience new adventures in their life, we often
allow the good things to crowd out the best things. When we are tempted to add
something new to our schedule, remind us to pray about Your will so that we can
remain centered in You and focused on what You want us to do.
Help
us to order our priorities based on Your plans for our day, so that we do not
miss those divine appointments that You arrange for us to accomplish for Your
Kingdom. Remind us to step out of our comfort zone, and to show interest and
care in those around us. It means so much to others when we share a smile, a
kind word, or an offer to pray for that individual. Most of all, show us ways
to tell our mate that they are more important to us than any other person or
event in our life.
Thought
for the Day:
In
order to increase our intimacy with our spouse, we can call, text or email
sometime during every day to let them know he/she is on your mind, make a spur
of the moment lunch date to spend time alone, deliver a favorite dessert to
their workplace and share it if they can take a break, mail a love poem or card
to their workplace to let them know they are in our thoughts and that we value
them, etc. The possibilities are endless.
