One Key to Keeping up with Life

I am going to be completely honest and transparent: most mornings I wake up feeling behind before the day even starts.

Four kids, one husband, a writing ministry, and all the other dreams waiting for their perfect season, I often feel like I am playing catch-up. Laundry seems never to end. House seems never to stay clean. The endless list of projects is never completed.

And the world constantly bombards us to be smarter, wiser, bigger, better, to be fully known, and greater in every way. There’s always someone who reminds us that we have not yet arrived with their bigger house, smarter kid, larger platform, more fabulous life, and grander ability to get it all done in time. We then spend the rest of our day catching up, yet never arriving.

Keeping up with the Jones’ (whoever they may be) leaves us feeling exhausted and worn-out. Never quite getting ahead, always just doing enough.

And I am a slow learner in life going way to fast, but what is all the rushing and wanting really about?

Who are we trying to impress? Aren’t we called to live for an audience of One?

We can give up on the need to compete when Christ completes us.

We will find no reason to keep up with the Jones’ when we live only for Jesus.

Anxiety and stress creep in when we compare and believe the lie we have to keep up. Comparison steals our joy and chokes out our hope, making us feel we never be enough. Eventually, we give up trying altogether.

What if the key to keeping up with the rat race is never to enter the race at all? What if we all just took one long deep breath and remembered who called us and anointed us with a purpose?

Today and every day let’s steady our souls with the Word. Maybe we won’t be so divided if we all spent a little more time in the Word and a little less time scrolling on social media?! Maybe we would be for each other and not against?! Maybe just maybe, the world will see us as united and not divided?!

Who has time for Jesus when we’re always trying to keep up? The better question to ask is, who doesn’t have time for Jesus in a world filled with rushing and wanting?

My soul becomes quiet, once again, remembering what is most important.

Luke 10:40-41 says, “But Martha was distracted by her many tasks, and she came up and asked, ‘Lord, don’t You care that my sister has left me to serve alone? So tell her to give me a hand.’ The Lord answered her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but one thing is necessary.’”

Once again I lay down my dreams, my aspirations, and my heavy, rushing heart at the feet of Jesus. In return, He floods me with peace. Peace to love this great big giant rushing world. Peace to do the next thing in front of me with love. Peace to allow Him to orchestrate the results.

Let’s not allow spiritual poverty to ransack our hearts and minds. Choose to simplify your life, enabling yourself to have time alone with God. It may not be long extended time like you would like, but carve out fifteen minutes before the day starts to focus your first thoughts on Him. Then throughout the day grab your Bible and meditate in those pockets of time. Sometimes, for me, it’s just a few minutes in the bathroom (all you moms know what I mean).

Let’s not become distracted by our many tasks and miss Jesus.

The only way to steady your soul is to stay at the feet of Jesus, listening and abiding by His every word.

Lea Turner

I’m Lea Turner. I have a husband, and we’ve got us, five kids. Three grew in my tummy and two in our hearts. My house is loud and crazy. Moved to Mississippi making me a northern girl stuck in a southern world. Silence is rare. Laundry is never caught up. Relationships over to-do-list and grace over guilt. Rest over stress. Being naturally authentic over wearing a religious mask. Deep conversations over a cup of hot coffee is a refreshment to my soul. I'm on a journey of resting entirely in the love of the Father by letting go of striving and walking fully in my identity. Look, I could get you a cup of coffee and listen, welcome to my kitchen sink, I think you'll like it here.

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