Simplify.

Posted on by Nichole

Early one morning, while the house was still quiet, I sat staring at a blank page in my journal.  I had a pen in one hand and a steaming cup of coffee in the other.  I sat, quietly, with that page for quite some time.  I chuckled softly to myself about the fact that God gave me the word “work” for this year when that’s pretty much all I feel like I’ve done everyday for all my days.  Yet, something inside of me wanted to articulate exactly what this work-thing was actually going to look like.  I knew the types of things God was calling me to do….I just didn’t know how I was actually going to do them.

How would it look in my daily life?  

How would I know if I was being successful or if I needed to work harder?  

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I jotted down some ideas but none of them really seemed feasible.  I scanned the numbered list I had written and as I honed in on the numbers the answer suddenly occurred to me:  ONE.  

Begin each day looking for the one. What is the one thing God is calling me to do today?

Because that’s where my work begins.

My work begins when I simplify.  When I wake up each morning and ask, “What do you have for me today, Lord.”

Sure, a million things might need my attention.  But each day, if I simplify this task and look for the one thing that God knows will make a difference in someone else’s life today, then I will successfully complete my day’s work.

 {If my work is God’s work then it will rarely be about ME.  It will almost always be about others.} 

God’s work is rarely accomplished because we followed a laundry list bogged down with details.  God’s work is accomplished in one, simple act of obedience that benefits others each and every day.  And that’s enough work for me.

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*This post is part of an online community. A prompt is given every Friday and we are encouraged to just free-write for 5 minutes and post it to our blogs without over-thinking or editing. If you’d like to participate, you can get more info and link-up on this site.  This week’s writing prompt was, “Simplify.”

18 thoughts on “Simplify.”

  4. I love this Nichole! Focus in on the one thing God wants you to do and the rest will follow. It encompasses His promise of peace when we focus on what He wants from us, rather than what we are striving to do for ourselves. Great words! Thank you!

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    1. Oh my word! She DID say that! I looooved Elisabeth Elliot so much. I never met her but she may have been one of my greatest spiritual mentors! Maybe that’s why I felt this so deeply….thank you so much for contributing your thoughts. 🙂

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      1. I never met her either, but I’ve read several of her books and intent to read them all someday. I also used to work my daily routine around her radio program. Even when the children were young, I made time to stop and listen. She was so down-to-earth.

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