Vital signs- Monday, May 1st, 2023

“The toil of a fool so wearies him that he does not even know how to go to a city.”

‭‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭10‬:‭15‬ ‭

We are not God. We don’t have all the answers. We can’t do everything. If you struggle to find balance in your life, that one admission can transform everything.

It’s just plain dumb to wear ourselves out with work. When we overwork, we’re playing God. We are saying that it all depends on us. The world will crash down around us if we don’t keep the world spinning. That’s just not true! We’re not the general manager of the universe. We can resign. The universe will not fall apart. God has it under control.

Often one of the reasons we do this to ourselves is that we try to please everyone. Learn this lesson today: You can’t please everyone. Even God can’t please everyone! One person wants it to rain. Someone else wants it to be sunny. Only a fool would try to do what even God can’t do.

When we live for the expectations of others, we pile on ourselves tons of “shoulds.” We tell ourselves, “I should work more hours,” “I should go to this seminar,” or “I should volunteer for this assignment.” But realize this: No one is holding a gun to your head. Overworking is your choice. You choose to take on the extra work or not take it on. And you choose the consequences that come with that choice.

When you deny your humanity and try to do it all, you’re robbing God of his glory. The Bible reminds us of this in 2 Corinthians 4:7: “We have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us” (NIV). Paul reminds us that we’re human beings. We’re feeble and fragile. Jars of clay break easily. If you drop them, they shatter. Clay pots have to be handled with care. Clay pots have to be handled appropriately. If not, they’ll get destroyed.

But the good news is that through our feebleness, the power and glory of God shine through. Your humanity isn’t something to hide. Instead, let’s celebrate the power of God working through our limitations.

So admit it: we are human. Thank God for that!

What tends to tempt you to overwork?

How can working too much actually lead to a bad work ethic?

Team Wade loves you and is praying for you ❤️👊