And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all you need, you will abound in every good work.
2 CORINTHIANS 9:8
When I was a teenager, I really wanted to be a basketball player. Then reality hit: the statistical probability of a 5’2” girl making headlines because of her ability to slam-dunk a basketball was next to nothing. If I had chosen to ignore this fact and equated my “all” with being the next WNBA superstar, I would have wasted a lot of years with a relatively futile pursuit. The point is that each one of us has a specific “all” created especially for us, and God enables us to achieve it.
Having it all does not mean we can have anything we want, or that we can have everything simultaneously. Nor should the media, politicians, the feminist movement, culture, history, the popular talk show host, lifestyle magazines, tradition, the latest celebrity, or our flesh dictate our pursuits, dreams, and goals to us. It should be the result of seeking first the kingdom of God.
When it’s God who adds the “all” rather than us trying to strive for it on our own, we don’t have to be stressed, overworked, or anxious about trying to keep something we cannot obtain on our own anyway. If we simply continue to put God first, he adds it to our life according to his perfect will and his perfect timing. Similarly, the Bible teaches that there are certain things God has created for each one of us to do. If we spend our lives doing the good works God predestined for us, we will always find enough time, energy, and resources to do them. On the other hand, if we try to walk in paths God has not prepared for us, doing works he has not set out for us, we will inevitably end up living stressed, unfulfilled, frustrated, and disappointed lives.
The “all” we should desire to have and do is tied to God himself and his purpose for us. If we always seek him first, it is truly amazing how our crazy, full-to-overflowing lives seem to work.
MOMENT OF REFLECTION
Are you focusing on God’s priorities for this season of your life?