(This post is adapted from a talk I recently gave to the ABIDE Women’s group at Truett McConnel University)
My daughter Emma and I were at a museum in Knoxville TN last month. For me, the most memorable exhibit was a mural titled, “History of Tennessee”. It was beautiful and it was huge – it spanned an entire wall, floor to ceiling. On it, as the title suggests, was a visual history of my birth state.
After we saw that, I thought about how great it would be if God were to show me “The History of Krista McGee” – just the big stuff from my life, so I could know what was coming. When I was little, I wondered what I’d look like when I grew up. when I was a teenager, I wondered who I’d marry, how many kids I’d have. As an adult, I wonder what jobs I’ll have, what places I’ll live, what tragedies or blessings I’ll experience in my later years. I can spend a lot of time dreaming and worrying about what will be on my “mural”.
But God convicted me that I don’t need to spend time dreaming and worrying about tomorrow. God has called me to focus on TODAY. He tells us, in Mt 6:33 to “Seek first the Kingdom of God” – this in a passage previously warning people against worrying. My mind should be fixed on Christ, on what I can do to elevate Him and accomplish His will.
I am a big fan of Post-It notes – I have them all over my desk and computer, with specifics to remind me what I need to do each day (Take Attendance! Grade essays! Go to the grocery store). Those, along with my planner and Reminders on my phone, are crucial to my being able to accomplish all I need to accomplish each day.
So I started thinking about those Post-It’s. And the mural. The mural has great ideas, but that’s all. The Post-It’s, on the other hand, get the job done! Spiritually, then, I’d be much better off thinking in “Post-It’s” rather than “mural”. If God wants me to seek first His kingdom, then I can do that by asking Him every day, “What do you want me to put on my Post-It’s?” Maybe it’s helping someone in need, sharing my faith with a friend, listening to someone who’s hurting. Certainly, it’s reading my Bible, praying, and spending time with other believers.
I began to realize that, while there’s certainly a lot of my mural that is unknown, there are plenty of Post-It’s that are certain! I’ve discovered that, if I change my focus from “mural” to Post-It’s”, I’m more joyful, more fulfilled, more at peace: God gives me just what I need each day, to accomplish what He has for me.
If you’re not sure what God might want you to write on your Post-It note for today, start with some of these verses. Each of them is a command – God’s will for you!
- Mt. 22:36-40
- I Thess. 5:16-19
- Rom. 12:1-2
- I Pt. 3:15
- Prov. 12:22
- I Thess. 4:3-5
- James 5:19-20
