Conquering Your Chaos: No Time to WasteSample

Are you a fixer-upper? Do you love DIY projects filled with demolition, sheetrock, and electric gizmos? I have a love-hate relationship with these projects, mainly because my spouse and I cannot DIY worth anything. For most aspects, we call someone, causing the cost to soar, and lengthening the timeline. That’s the hate part. However, we are skilled painters and love doing it.

Knowing what you can do and what is better left to someone else is not only important in our DIY endeavors, it is imperative to orchestrate our schedules. The Bible assures us God has work for you and me, prepared in advance, with eternal significance. The enemy would like nothing better than for us to become overwhelmed, lost in the chaos, trying to accomplish everything indiscriminately.

Consider outsourcing.

A few months into our third adoption, doubling the size of our family, a gifted leader and pastor offered me life-changing advice.

“Let other people do what anybody can do so that you can do what only you can do.”

When Moses brought the Israelites out of Egypt, his father-in-law heard about the miracles God performed. He came into the wilderness to pay Moses a visit. Observing the daily routine, this wise man identifies some red flags in how Moses spends his time.

This wise man lays out a plan for how other people can come alongside to lighten his load. It is strategic and swift. In essence, Moses outsources his burden, enabling him to operate within his God-given calling more effectively. And it works.

Outsourcing in our situations should be just as strategic. You first need to know what you can do that no one else can do. It takes a commitment to refrain from micro-managing what you outsource. Often it is work initially to teach another how to assist you, and it requires consistent help. Reliable help. Help that is helpful, freeing you to do what only you can do.

Honestly, not heeding this advice allows the chaos in my life to overrun today, the month, and the year. Period. Without following it, I live in exhaustion, defeated, with a calling undeveloped sitting on a shelf somewhere in shoulda, coulda, woulda land.

Outsource what anyone can do so that you do not wear yourself out.

What move do you need to make today that advances you to live effectively within your calling?