Most if not all of us have seen it. At a buffet or a large family function where there was a lot of food. There’s usually somebody walking around with a plate that has food nearly falling off of it. Or they sit a full plate down and go back and get another full plate. Now you’ve got to be honest here. None of us look at that person and think good thoughts. We don’t think that it’s impressive. If we’re really honest, we know that some of us will even comment to someone about it negatively that is. Why are we not impressed by this? I mean it takes skill to balance all that food on one plate and not drop it. It takes courage to go back and make a second plate before you’ve even touched the first plate. It takes stamina to sit and eat that much food. These are good qualities right? Yes the qualities may be good, but they are outweighed by the disregard for others around them. Including their families. The gluttony behind the behavior. At some point when there is a lot of food like this you just have to say no. No more, I cannot take anything else and put it on my plate.
This is what I’d like to address. When it comes to food, we are in agreement about this. What about activities though? When you stack your “plate” so high with activities that you disregard your family. They lose time with you because of the stuff on your plate. You’re probably not impressing people by everything you’re doing. They probably are thinking you need to get some stuff off your plate.
Maybe you don’t know how to say no if someone asks you for help. I will say it’s very commendable to be willing to help others, but everything is not your responsibility. As I’ve told people, “every blessing isn’t your blessing.” Then every job isn’t your job. You have to have a balance. You can’t be a glutton for punishment as they say. You have to be able to rest. You have to have time for your family. You have to have time for Jesus. Martha was so busy working at trying to take care of everyone that she didn’t have time to sit down with Jesus. Think about that. She had Jesus in her living room and she was in the kitchen. Then she has the gall to try to get Him to rebuke Mary for spending time with Him. We give Martha a hard time for this, but do we do the same thing? Do we rush through our day and not take time to talk to Jesus? Do we get up in the morning and have our coffee pot pre-programmed to brew so we can “start our day right?” Yet we have not pre-programmed within ourselves to make spending Jesus the first part of our day, so we can really start the day right. The Word says in Psalm 113:3 KJV From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the LORD’S name is to be praised.
Matthew 11:28-30 KJV
28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
I can’t imagine reading this and thinking I need to take on the world by myself. No, Jesus said that His burden is light. He doesn’t want you wearing yourself completely out.
I know we have busy lives. I know we need to be about our Father’s business. Again everything isn’t our job. In Mark chapter 8 Jesus heals a blind man. Then Jesus says this: And he sent him away to his house, saying, Neither go into the town, nor tell it to any in the town. (Mark 8:26 KJV). That goes against our thinking. We would think it is now our responsibility to go tell everyone. Don’t sit down and rest, don’t go home first, but publish it far and wide. Not what Jesus wanted him to do. He just said go home.
Are you feeling overwhelmed by the amount of things you have on your plate? Ask yourself these questions.
Am I putting too much on my plate? Is this what God wants me doing? Is my family being neglected by all the things I have going on? Is my relationship with God being neglected?
We do not need to overload ourselves. We have to be able to say no and it’s okay to say no. Not going to say that’s going to be easy the first time you do. Not going to say you aren’t going to upset some people. Pray over your yes’s and your no’s. thanksgiving
Matthew 5:37 WEB But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes’ and your ‘No’ be ‘No.’…
Philippians 4:6-7 WEB 6 In nothing be anxious, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus.
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