This post is part of a 6 part series. To read the previous posts, click here.
Guideline 1: Will my family, friendships, or daily God and I time suffer?
This is one of the first things we need to think about when dealing with doing all to the glory of God. God is not glorified through something if it causes our relationships with others to suffer.
Jesus had a crazy schedule. Massive crowds followed Him everywhere from morning ’til night. But somehow He still found time to have a deep relationship with His 12 disciples. He set an example for us. Yes, He was very busy doing God’s work. And that was good. Yet He never let the rest of His life suffer for it.
We need to do the same. Make sure that taking on that new responsibility or helping someone with something won’t take the place of your family, friends, and God and I time. Those are some of the most important things in the entire world, and it is a horror to lose them.
That’s just the first question we need to ask ourselves. Come back tomorrow for another guideline for doing all to God’s glory.
I understand what you are saying about being careful not to harm our relationships, but I think asking this question first is a dangerous one. I’m sure you have it in your list, but the first question we should be asking is, “Is this something God is calling me to do?” The answer to that questions supersedes the answer to any other question.
We are called to lives of sacrifice. We are to be living sacrifices. Jesus calls us to pick up our cross and follow him. Repeatedly, as people ask what is required to follow him, he paints pictures of sacrifice: having nowhere to lie your head, go sell everything and give it away, let the dead bury themselves, hate your mother and father (yes, in a sense this is hyperbole, but the point is still the same), be the servant of all, etc.
We can’t look at our relationships with others first. There are times when God asks us to do something that might seem to damage our relationships. The reasons for that are many. Maybe the relationships we have are unhealthy. Maybe the relationships will grow deeper through the difficulty. Who knows?
Yes, we need to make sure that we aren’t being unhealthy in our relationships, but I think that too many times we can use relationships as an excuse not to do something God is calling us to. I know it may sound bad, but our relationships with family and friends are not the most important thing in the world. Following what God is calling us to with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strength and loving our neighbours as ourselves are the most important things in the world.
Henry, I couldn’t agree more. In my head, the way I had the list layed out made perfect sense to me… but sometimes what makes sense to me doesn’t to others. (Like, as in most of the time.) I hope that my new post today answers a lot of your questions.
Like I say in today’s post, we do need to remember that all of the guidelines are dependent on one another. I feel that if what we are doing is truly God’s will, our Godly relationships (both earthly and Heavenly) should be maintained. Yes, they may go through hard times. And yes, God sometimes uses busyness to kick bad relationships out. But He’s also called us to love our families and to care for others.
So yes, I completely agree with what you’re saying. Sometimes I just need to explain things a little better than I do!