How to Be Faithful Instead of Frantic So You Can Get the Important Things Done
I used to feel like a giant rubber band—trying to hold it all together, pulled in too many directions, and stretched so thin it seemed I would snap.
Endless to-do lists, a calendar filled with commitments, families to love and care for, friendships to cultivate, workplace duties, ministries to serve in, hobbies to nurture—it’s no wonder we feel frantic. Add to this the nagging knowledge that our relationship with Jesus Christ should be our top priority. Yet days turn into weeks that turn into months, and we’ve unintentionally neglected what matters most.
Do you ever wonder how to get it all done without buckling under the unbearable weight of it all? How can we do “all the things” without disregarding what’s most important?
From Frantic Activity to Peaceful Productivity
Let’s start by getting to the root of our desire to get it all done. What drives our hamster wheel lifestyle?
Our frantic pace is often induced by fear in a least these three areas. The fear of what people think of us leads to the exhausting attempt to please everyone and live up to their expectations instead of aiming to please God first (Gal. 1:10). The fear of failure is steeped in legalism, forgetting the good news of God’s gift of grace to us. He loves us and accepts us not because of anything we do, but because of who he is (Eph. 2:8). The fear of things falling apart comes from believing the lie that it’s all up to us. It’s prideful self-reliance (Prov. 3:5–6).
We can overcome these fears and work with joy rather than dread. We can be productive and peaceful at the same time. Jesus said, “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). The key to a peaceful life of fruitful faithfulness begins with Jesus Christ as our foundation and focus—seeking him first (Matt. 6:33) and relying on him for the nourishment and nurturing we need to be productive.
But how do we do that? What does this actually look like in the day-to-day? How does this apply to getting it all done?
Three Practices to Help You Get the Important Things Done
There are as many ways to answer these questions as there are people. I don’t presume to be an expert and I certainly haven’t mastered everyday faithfulness. But I want to share with you three key practices that have changed my life and brought me from a constant sense of chaos to a consistent sense of calm.
1. Purpose. The Bible tells us that we were “predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will” (Eph. 1:11). God created each of us for a purpose—to glorify God and enjoy him forever. No matter who we are or what our circumstances may be, we exist to know and love Jesus Christ and to glorify him in everything we do. Choosing to live our lives to fulfill this purpose is an act of worship, our grateful response to God’s gift of grace and his mercy in saving us through Jesus Christ.
God also created time. We all have only twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, and fifty-two weeks each year. It stands to reason that God gave us enough time to do what he created us to do. So if we’re prevented from living out our purpose because we have too much on our plates, we may need to re-evaluate.
Our purpose serves as the framework around which we order our lives. Viewing our day-to-day lives in light of our purpose helps us determine what tasks to put on our to-do lists, what events to put on our calendars, and how to spend our time, energy, and resources.
2. Prioritization. God’s Word tells us we were “created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Eph. 2:10). What are these “good works”? How do we know what God’s will is for our lives? What’s his agenda for today?
You and I have specific roles given to us by God. For example, the moment I married my husband, my role as his wife was set in stone. I don’t have to wonder if that’s God’s will for me today or not. Similarly, the moment my first child was conceived, my role as a mom became unquestionable.
God doesn’t give us opportunities or obligations that prevent us from faithfully filling our God-given roles, so defining those roles and the responsibilities that come with them helps us to prioritize.
For example, our primary role as a follower of Jesus Christ comes with a personal responsibility to steward our spiritual health. This involves spiritual disciplines like Bible study, prayer, Christian fellowship, service, and rest. The role of husband or wife bears responsibilities like spending quality time with each other and managing finances and household tasks. The role of a parent holds the responsibilities of feeding, clothing, training, and caring for your children.
Other God-given roles you may have include church member, caregiver, pastor or ministry leader, son or daughter, brother or sister, etc.
In my own life, this exercise simplifies my decision-making: If I’m presented with a new opportunity, activity, or role, I evaluate how it will affect my God-given roles and responsibilities. If the new opportunity, activity, or role will prevent me from fulfilling my God-given roles, then the new opportunity, activity, or role is not mine to take on.
3. Planning. Keeping our priorities in order doesn’t happen automatically. It requires intentionality. Wise Solomon wrote, “The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance, but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty” (Prov. 21:5). What works best for me is planning ahead, and I do this at various levels and intervals.
Quarterly. Every few months, I review my life purpose, roles, and responsibilities to keep myself accountable. This prevents me from being swayed by my own desires or people-pleasing. I ask three main questions for each area of responsibility: 1) What’s going well? 2) What needs improvement? 3) What are my next steps?
I’ll use spiritual health as an example. My involvement in my church community, discipleship, and prayer are all areas that are going well, but my Bible reading has been inconsistent, so that’s an area that needs improvement. My next step is to pinpoint what’s causing me to neglect God’s Word and make necessary changes to my schedule or routines to prioritize it again.
Monthly. Around the last week of each month, with my task lists and calendar in front of me, I schedule the events and responsibilities I need to accomplish—the priorities based on my roles and responsibilities. This includes scheduling chunks of time with no activity to ensure I rest. (God created us for rest too!)
Weekly & Daily. On Sunday evenings, I look at the week ahead and mentally prepare, asking the Lord to help me follow his lead and be faithful to what he’s called me to that week. Then each morning, I look at the plan for the day and pray through scheduled events and tasks on my list. I ask God to help me to be diligent, enjoy him, glorify him, and follow his lead instead of being tied to my own plans. Then I evaluate if my plans for the day are still feasible or if I need to adjust my expectations (because sometimes things change, and I need to adapt).
Faithfulness Requires Flexibility
Sometimes circumstances change, events are canceled, there’s a plumbing emergency, or an illness visits our household. These are simply more opportunities to reflect Jesus Christ by serving the people around us instead of being enslaved to our to-do list or calendar.
While focus, prioritization, and intentionality are important, we can easily slip back into legalism or perfectionism and cling more tightly to our own plans than to the leading of the Holy Spirit throughout the day. When our carefully laid plans fall apart, remembering our purpose is essential. Instead of asking, “How can I complete my plan now?” we can ask, “How can I best fulfill my purpose to glorify God and enjoy him today in spite of all that’s happened and changed?”
Once again, this is a reminder of the importance of keeping our eyes on Jesus instead of ourselves and trusting his ways, which are higher than our own (Isa. 55:8–9).
From Frantic Fear to Focused Faithfulness
Peaceful, focused faithfulness comes when you “do not lean on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths” (Prov. 3:5–6).
There is freedom in the truth that we can’t do it all. Just because we can do something doesn’t mean we should do something. Sometimes we have to say no to a good thing because it’s not God’s thing for us at the time. When we’re focused on who God is and our purpose to glorify him, we can set aside our frantic, fear-driven activity in favor of simple, everyday faithfulness to his will for our lives.
You and I are not God. We can’t control everything. We can do nothing without Jesus (John 15:5). But when we’re clear about what God has called us to do, we can trust him to give us the strength, wisdom, time, and resources we need to do it (Phil. 4:19).
Jana Carlson is a writer, Bible teacher, and mentor. She creates resources and offers workshops to inspire women and writers to love the Bible, experience its transforming power for every season of life, and wield the Word for God’s glory. She’s a member of Rocky Mountain Calvary Chapel in Alberta, Canada, where she serves as a blog coordinator, editor, and women’s ministry leader. Connect with her at janacarlson.com.