What do we do when chaos causes us to lose our focus?
“And Solomon, my son, learn to know the God of your ancestors intimately. Worship and serve him with your whole heart and a willing mind. For the Lord sees every heart and knows every plan and thought.” 1 Chronicles 28:9 NLT
I wrote it in my new planner, the one with all the space for goals, plans, and action steps.
I jotted it down on my desk calendar at work.
I scribbled it next to a little circle on my to-do list notepad.
And I still forgot to bring the ‘thank you’ card to work for my co-worker this week.
Actually, that’s not exactly accurate. When I got home from work on Friday, I found it tucked in the side of my bag. The card did make it to work, I just never took it out of my bag to give it to her. The task didn’t get done. (So much for the satisfaction of drawing a checkmark next to the item on my list.)
As a result, frustration came in like an overpowering wave. How could I be so forgetful?
How do we go from chaos to focus?
We’ve been in a busier-than-usual season at our house. The list of things that must get done keeps growing, and I find myself putting off everything until the weekend. There’s just one problem with scheduling everything on Saturday.
Saturday comes, and I’m too tired to tackle the list.
So another week passes, and next Saturday’s list is even longer. And so on. And so on.
In those times, I feel like chaos has taken over. My mind struggles to focus on just one thing, much less a never-ending list of things that have to be done this week. It’s hard to feel content when chaos surrounds us, but God gives encouraging direction in the story of David giving instruction to Solomon regarding building the temple.
David wanted to build a temple to hold the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant. But David wasn’t the man for the job. (To read more about that, visit a post I wrote for Encouragement for Today here.)
When God chose Solomon to complete the job, David shared this with his son as he commissioned him to begin the work God called him to do.
As God’s children, we are commissioned and called to worship and serve Him. In this verse, we learn a valuable detail concerning these things. We are to worship and serve with a whole heart and a willing mind.
When I keep my whole heart and a willing mind, set on God, contentment will outshine the chaos.
Lord, I give you my whole heart and a willing mind.
David continues on from there with a reminder that God knows our thoughts and plans. And thankfully, His plans for us are better than our own.
Can I admit something to you? This morning when I woke up and turned on my tablet to read my Bible app, I noticed something. In the midst of a chaotic week, I’d rushed through my morning routine and hadn’t finished a single day’s reading. Not. Even. One.
So I guess you could say I didn’t offer my whole heart or a willing mind this week. I forged my own plans. I let chaos rule instead of seeking contentment.
But David’s inspiring speech to Solomon gives us hope today. Putting God first in our hearts and minds will keep us focused on things that matter.
Has all the chaos going on in your world caused you to lose focus?
Let David’s words from Scripture renew your peace today. Begin fresh with a whole heart and willing mind Then allow yourself to just be as you sense unsurpassed contentment and regain focus.
