Work Smarter Not Harder…

Most people would like to be independent, including me.

We want to accomplish our goals without the need to rely on anyone else for help. This seems perfectly doable when we’re young, strong, healthy, and we’ve already learned a thing or two.

However, no matter what your age or how successful you are, there will come a time in each of our lives when things do not go according to our plan.

We fail miserably, or life’s thrown us a curve ball, and we didn’t even notice there was a game going on.

When that happens, it could be through no fault of our own, which makes us angry and want to blame others. Then again, maybe we caused the problem, and that can be embarrassing and make us feel depressed or mad at ourselves.

We all face a multitude of challenges, and some of us can overcome them more easily than others, which tends to make us even stronger.

And there will always be the ones who seem to have it all under their control, and appear as if they’ve accomplished everything through luck, or sheer willpower, hard work and determination.

But as the Bible tells us, time and chance happen to us all. (Ecc 9:11)

We all experience sunny days and storms.

No one achieves perfection and keeps it that way forever. Eventually something’s got to give, and it usually involves suffering.

Maintaining success is stressful and will ultimately cause imbalance in some area of our lives. It can tear apart relationships and manifest as illness or mental fatigue. Some problems become so severe; they leave us feeling helpless to how we can fix what’s now broken.

Also, while we’re so involved in our own drama, there isn’t much room in our busy schedules to help someone else.

So why do we have such a strong desire to be independent?

And how do we stay balanced?

Is there a way we can become prosperous in every area of our lives, and always be able to get through any challenge that comes our way?

I found the simple truth in today’s scripture. (Philippians 4:13 below)

We can be truly independent and self sufficient when we completely rely on Jesus. When we include Jesus in all of our daily decisions and plans, He assures us He will always be there with us and help us fulfill God’s purpose for us on Earth.

What that looks like in real life is as easy as a morning talk with Him.

Giving thanks for waking up on a new day. Then talk over your plans for the day. Be honest and let him know all about your burdens and struggles, or why you’re excited about something.

Listen for any clues that might indicate to either proceed or to slow down and possibly change course.

The Holy Spirit will give you peace when it’s the right way to go.

In time you’ll get the hang of it, and notice certain tasks are a little easier to do, or something that seems to be a coincidence, turns things in your favor.

Your faith will build, and you will be stronger for it. You’ll notice you have more free time to spend with your loved ones.

You’ll notice the needs of other people and you’ll be able to help them and this will bring joy to your heart.

Because now, with Jesus, you're working smarter, not harder.

We all start out as babies needing to be taken care of for every need. Then we grow and learn as children, but still we need the stability of a nurturing environment, which comes from our parents and family members. We are meant to continue our lives in a supportive environment.

If we forget that and seek to be only self-reliant, without God’s infinite wisdom, then our lives will be a lot more difficult than they need to be.

There’s a song that tells us, “People who need people are the luckiest people in the world.”

Not only do we need other people, but we need Jesus in our lives even more. We need other people to help each other thrive, and we need Jesus to be complete.

I can do all things which He has called me to do through Him who strengthens and empowers me to fulfill His purpose—

I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency; I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him who infuses me with inner strength and confident peace.

Philippians 4:13 AMP