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Just Enough Time to Do God’s Will
By Rick Warren

“All of us should … enjoy what we have worked for. It is God’s gift.” (Ecclesiastes 3:13 GNT)

In a 21st-century world where we’re overworked, overstressed, and over-scheduled, this may be one of the most significant and freeing sentences you’ll ever read: You have just enough time to do God’s will.

That means if you don’t feel you have enough time in your day, one of two things is true. Either:

1. You’re doing things God doesn’t intend for you to do.

2. You’re doing the things God intended the wrong way.

God wouldn’t give you a list of things to do and not give you the time to do them. Either you’re trying to do too much or wasting time. There’s really no other option.

Either way, you need to learn to enjoy the moment. The Bible says, “All of us should … enjoy what we have worked for. It is God’s gift” (Ecclesiastes 3:13 GNT).

Too many of us fall victim to a terrible trap. I call it “when and then” thinking. We believe “when” we achieve a particular goal, we’ll be happy. Maybe that goal is graduation, marriage, or a financial goal. But you won’t be happy then. You’ll enjoy reaching that goal for three seconds and then ask yourself, “What’s next?” The cycle simply repeats.

Are you worn out, burnt out, or stressed out? God wants more for you. If you’re carrying an overwhelming load, it isn’t from Jesus. He says in Matthew 11, “Come to me, all of you who are tired and have heavy loads, and I will give you rest …. the load I give you to carry is light” (Matthew 11:28, 30 NCV).

Every moment of your life is a gift from God. He doesn’t want you to miss a single one.

Talk It Over

What moments from your past do you regret that your busyness kept you from enjoying?

What goals have you achieved in the past that you thought would be satisfying, yet they weren’t?

How can you change your priorities and schedule to have enough time to do what God wants you to do?