If I were to take a quick look at your schedule what would I see? Basketball games, employee meetings, church, PTA meetings, bills due, doctors appointments? Our lives are nothing if not a culmination of a thousand scheduled moments- each one individually agreed to and committed on. Each entry chosen to be a part of our life, however big or small. Let’s face it, we’re all over-extended. We are too committed. We have such a hard time saying no.

To often there is just too much. Too much to choose from, too much to entertain, too much to be a part of, too much to do… and simply not enough time to do it. We over-exert, over-emphasize, over-do, and over-commit.

In this frantic world we race here and there, agonizing over trying to fit it all in. We over promise and usually under-deliver… simply because we just. cannot. stop. doing. stuff.

A quick look at our calendar shows a soul woefully busy but a life, I would imagine, woefully empty of meaning.

Too often we strive to fill our lives with purpose. We want to spend time on important things, we ache to fill our days with that which is weighty and worthwhile. But all too often, in order to fit it all in, we drop the very things that actually hold eternal ties.

Question: When things get busy and you find yourself exhausted- too tired to do anything else… too worn out to commit to one more thing… what ‘goes’? Looking at that calendar, what is crossed out? What do you see as the most expendable? What is lowest on the level of importance?

What we do and spend time on is perhaps the fastest and most honest way of assessing where our hearts desires lie. Does that devotional get left behind? What about that Tuesday night prayer team? Do you cut out Sunday school because it’s just too hard to get there on time? How about spending time discipling or being discipled?

What goes first when the chopping block of exhaustion comes out?

I challenge you today to take a look at your schedule and determine what you are devoted to. Ask God to take any blinders off regarding how you spend your time and energy. When you’re over-extended, look at what is sacrificed on the Alter of Constraint. What activities lie on top of it? These are what you are telling yourself, your spouse, your children, your friends, your world…. are the least important- the most worthless. Let the Lord look over with you the priorities in your days and readjust (as He enlightens) areas that need a refocus and rededication. Let your yeses be eternal- of weighty consequence. Let your no’s merely temporal- a passing of the wind.

Acts 2:42-47 ESV And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.