Questions #6 - Do you set unrealistic demands on your time, talent and/or strength?
Do I? You have no idea! I take the title "Great Expectations" to all new levels. Each day, I create of list of what I want to accomplish. The list includes work tasks such as blogging, article writing, working on my current book, editing and so on. It also includes house chores such as dishes, laundry, sweeping, cleaning bathrooms, running errands and the like. Daily routines like devotion time, exercise and taking care of the dog grace the list. As do various other tasks such as choosing and practicing offertories for church, preparing my weekly Sunday School lesson, creating lesson plans for the college class I teach, etc. Before the day begins, the list is full. Unfortunately, I rarely, if ever, complete everything on my list.
Why? Well, maybe because I'm not Wonder Woman. I don't have the time or the energy to fulfill all the obligations I impose on myself. And it seems that when I have one (time or energy), I lack the other. In short, at the end of the day, I find myself exhausted and frustrated because I feel like I haven't accomplished anything. I set myself up to fail.
The dangerous part is that my actions open my heart and mind to attacks from Satan. A weary soldier doesn't put up much of a fight. And a discouraged warrior wants nothing more than to drop everything and go back to bed. My unrealistic expectations lead me to view myself as a failure, and Satan is quick to second the motion. And once he has a foothold, I'm in big trouble!
Having goals is good. It's wonderful to be prepared. There's nothing wrong with having a daily schedule or a to-do list. The problem comes when we forsake all else to accomplish everything on that list. The plan becomes our god, and we live only to serve it. And in the process, life is stripped of joy, and our bodies are stripped of energy. It's too much! God never intended for us to try to conquer the world in a day. And when we do, we're not following His will for our lives.
For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. - Philippians 2:13
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