What does every day look like after you wake up?

​Do you wake up to another day facing a long day of work—be that out of the home or in the home; working from home, or working in the home raising human beings (which is a job that never seems to end); taking care of the family and sometimes doing all 3 and felt: “There’s just not enough hours in the day to get it all done!” Yet with today’s advancements in the electronic age we’re supposed to be saving mountains of time but where exactly is all this saved time? By my reckoning I can’t seem to ever find it.  Truth is, we have programmed ourselves to be productive to the point just shy of burn out, be that with all our time saving electronics or by using an abacus and a ruler. It doesn’t matter what age we live in; the problem is our giving ourselves unrealistic goals for the day. It could be in developing software or chopping wood. It reminds me of that video of someone cleaning up their house in time lapse; 2 hours of work seen in a 1-minute video.  We laugh because it looks funny seeing this person racing around the house back and forth and sometimes in circles, but this is just how I feel inside approaching an entire day of tasks. This tends to stress me and depress me. Every time I come home from a vacation, I vow to take things slower and not get ramped up but before I know it I’ve fallen into the same old pattern. Until God showed me something.

Here’s the deal. God never stresses us out and overloads us. We do that ourselves. Work as we know is a part of life. Even God works. Jesus told the religious leaders that “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working” (John 5:17.) Jesus was referring to doing the work God required of him and so too should we. In the past whenever I came upon the scripture (John 6:28,29) where Jesus is asked what work God requires us to do, I inwardly groaned. I thought great. There’s more work.  But his answer always surprised and soothed me. He simply said: “This is the work that God requires: To believe in the One He has sent.” They were asking how to work the “works of God” as in operating in the supernatural, but the application can be the same. We are intended to live naturally supernatural and supernaturally natural as we believe in Jesus throughout daily life. Well, I thought, that’s easy. Yay. When I realized this for myself, it just took so much pressure off me. But there’s more to it than that.

​And it’s super simple.

If we obey this verse it changes absolutely everything about our day and ultimately our lives, even if bad things happen. If you believe in the One God sent (Jesus) you trust him for this minute, correct? What would happen if you’d trust him with the next minute? And the next? What would happen if you’d start your day with: “Jesus, I believe in you. Please order my day” and really decided to believe it? If you don’t think he’s interested in every minute of every day of your life, you’re greatly mistaken. God’s word says: “And now, just as you trusted Christ to save you, trust him too with each day’s problems. Live in vital union with him.” (Col 2:6) It’s easy to believe in Jesus when everything is coming up roses, but how about when things start coming up thorns? You get in your car in the morning and it doesn’t start. Do you believe Jesus is involved? Your kid comes home sick from school and you have to rearrange everything. Do you believe Jesus ordered your day? Do you believe he knew this was going to happen? You go to work and lose your job. Do you believe God has a plan? You break up with your boyfriend/girlfriend. Do you believe He has someone better in the future for you? Your kid comes home stoned and drunk. Do you believe His arm is too short to save?  You have marital problems. Do you believe that God can fix or change a heart? 

Truth is, if we will simply decide to daily have faith and agree with God’s truths, all things are possible with God.  I personally need to say I believe you Jesus out loud. It encourages me to hear myself agree with God.
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When life is fabulous and even when our lives are full of challenging circumstances, to “believe in the One God has sent” will give us more peace, more joy, and more fulfillment for each and every day even before it starts. Your life is about to get easier as you partner with God. Try it.
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