As a new stay at home mom and entrepreneur one would think finding time to spend with the Lord would be a simple and easy task. Contrarily, everyday simple tasks that come along with being a mom, managing a home, and a business can strip you of valuable time with God.  There’s always something that needs to be done on all fronts! Not only that but everything is important so trying to balance and prioritize at the same time can be daunting. My struggle has been consistently choosing not to put my daily to do list before allocating and spending quality time with God. Naturally I take it one day at a time and do my best to prioritize Christ.

So today, I woke up and made a conscious decision to sit down and do my devotion. My all time favorite daily devotionals  is by Dr. Charles Stanley and the InTouch Ministry Team. Today’s devotional was so on point as far as prioritizing God, I had to share it with you!

2 Timothy 2:4-5

^“4 No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier. ⁵ Also if anyone competes as an athlete, he ^[a]does not win the prize unless he competes according to the rules.” NASB

“A soldier on duty doesn’t get caught up in making deals at the marketplace. He concentrates on carrying out orders.”MSG

Interestingly enough, He shared that  the word entangle means to be so wrapped up in something that movement is hindered. Wow! Such is life! everyday ordinary affairs of life can entangle us, to the point where our spiritual growth is hindered. I have yet to meet anyone who intentionally puts Christ on the back burner.

The apostle Paul emphasizes to timothy a warning against allowing ESSENTIAL DAILY  pursuits to supersede your commitment to Christ.

Focusing on this perspective is key to prioritizing our commitment and relationship with God. This is so good because as a entrepreneur there are so many “essential daily tasks” that come along with making a living. If you allow, it can take over your entire day. Paul was a great example of striking this balance.  Paul had an occupation, He was a tent maker, while doing ministry. He realized the potential of your occupation, becoming all-consuming, to the detriment of your spiritual growth.

I’m currently in my 30’s and my current focus|goal(s) is growing and managing wealth, providing for my family, and making the most of my time spent with my husband and child. All are activities I consider to be very important, and tasks that God encourages himself.  However, he encourages in addition to relationship with him not in place of a relationship with him. Charles Stanley said it like this,” …these blessings are not to become distractions that draw believers away from church, or regular prayer and bible study”. (Bible study meaning the actual act of studying the bible, and/or the weekly service or group at your local church) 

Lastly, he mentioned a tendency we as believers have to “COMPARTMENTALIZE” our life into two categories:

1. Christian Ministry
2. Regular work/life/play

Doing so can also be detrimental to our spiritual advancement. We have to learn to look at life as simply being Christ soldiers, no matter where we are, or what we are doing. In other words, there is no such thing as a part-time warrior.  Or maybe we sign up to be a part time worker in ministry at the church, instead of being a lifetime warrior in the army of the Lord. Christ is enlisting…

To be honest, I have my father to thank for this, He NEVER separated the two. We could be on vacation, and he still telling people about Jesus, or praying for someone. Most importantly, He demonstrated to me daily the importance of communing with God at the start of each day. Not only that he didn’t leave us out, we prayed as a family everyday before we left the house. All are things in which I do today with my family. It helps that I married a Godly man who also understand the value of a relationship with God and modeling that daily before our little one. 

So everything God gives, vocation, wealth, or leisure activities is to be used for His glory. Let’s be mindful not to create artificial boundaries between the secular and sacred.  Let’s keep a balance and prevent our daily tasks, hobbies, blessings,  and interests from becoming a snare in our growth.

I pray this ministers to you as it did me,

Mercedes