Energy Worthy or Not?

We have been looking at the Proverbs 31 Woman in our Ladies Bible Class ...that lady had some energy!

Though I am sure she didnt do ALL that stuff in one day, she still got alot of stuff accomplished! She had vineyards to maintain, bread to bake, servant girls to manage (I wish I had servant girls to order), cloth to weave, children to take care of well enough for them to call her blessed, a husband whose needs she met, land to sell ...the chic was BUsy.

She had to have had alot of energy, cause she didnt just do it, she did it well.

This is really where all this destressing stuff started for me...realizing that God both gives me energy, and requires I use it toward the purpose he assigned. THAT means that I have some serious budgeting to do!

I am first reminded that I do HAVE at one point what I need to fulfill my purpose, because He said so, "God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, have an abundance for every good work" II Corinthians 9:8

If I dont feel like I have an abundance of anything for my "good work", whether it be money, time ,or energy then I have to ask what happened to what God gave me? How have I mismanaged it so that I dont have any left?

I really believe, and am becoming more and more convinced every day, that stress is a huge part of what takes my energy. Thus, this effort to get rid of it!

Now, we know that we cant live a stressFREE life. The fact that we live a full life with family, husband, children, homes, and healthy (or not) bodies means that we have stress. Its part of life.

And, since we know that life means stress and stress takes energy, we have to determine for ourselves what stress is acceptable, and what stress isnt.

What things in our life are "worth" using our God-given energy for? What things are worth the stress that come with them? What stresses are acceptable (if not also somewhat manageable) because they fit into our purpose? THOSE are the things that are worth the energy and worth the stress that comes with them. Everything else, is not.

So, we determine what those things are.

How?

Simply, determine what your priorities are. Keep them where you can see them. Line up everything you have to do, everything on your Stress List, and make sure you are putting your energy where it needs to be.

Practically speaking,

• List your priorities (five wasnt enough for me, so I have listed my top 7 priorities)
• Put them in a visible place (i.e., the first thing you see when you grab your Stress Less Journal)
• Use it to determine which things you will do first, second, third and not at all

Being a good mom, wife, daughter, friend, sister, and Christian requires energy; especially to do it well. Make sure that when your energy runs out, it was spent in the right place, in the right way.

Stress takes energy, but if the stress is due to the fact that you are trying to do what your purpose requires then its WORTHY stress, WORTHY energy.

Even still, we should be aware of how we are using it. We need to budget our energy like we do any other resource. Just like our money and time, we need to make sure we are spending our energy the best way possible.

So, we continue this quest to be good stewards of these precious resources...thanks for stickin with me!