"You say, “I am allowed to do anything”—but not everything is good for you. You say, “I am allowed to do anything”—but not everything is beneficial." 1 Corinthians 10:23 (NLT)
Do you struggle to do it all? I don't know about you, but more oftentimes than not, life weighs heavy on my shoulders. Between chores, tending to my spouse's needs, working out, prioritizing spiritual disciplines, and caring for myself, many days leave me weary and ragged.
I know that Jesus calls me away from what's not a priority to the things that are. I know that Jesus doesn't want me to be weary, famished, and drowning from the waves that surround me. And yet, I am human. My flesh is weak. I stumble and fall more than I'd like to admit. Can you relate?
As I approach 2025, one statement has rung repeatedly in my mind: "You can do anything, but not everything." The difference between anything and everything is found in 1 Corinthians 10. In a long address to the Church in Corinth, Paul preaches a similar message.
As Christians, we're to learn from Israel's idolatry. We're also to learn from those who have come before us. This is why 1 Corinthians 10 explains that while we are given freedom in Christ, this freedom isn't an excuse to sin or keep on sinning. Galatians 5:13 points to a similar message: "You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one" (NIV). What does this have to do with doing it all?
While our faith should enable us to do all things (Philippians 4:13), Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 10:23 to carefully evaluate who and what we give our time to. Yes, our freedom in Christ has set us free. We are capable of anything God gives us the ability to do. But that does not mean we should engage in things that aren't good for us or make others stumble. This also means that we shouldn't fall captive to believing that we should do everything.
Our mission as Christians is to spread the Good News of the gospel. This is called the Great Commission in Matthew 28. Our goal is not to please man, but God (1 Thessalonians 2:4). Unfortunately, many of us, myself included, often get this misconstrued. We believe the lie that we must do everything. Before we know it, we think we're invincible superhumans who can't let anyone down ever. Saying "no" becomes a curse word, and what truly matters to us has fallen behind, getting lost in the noise.
As much as I'd love to say I can do it all, I simply can't, and neither can you. But that's okay. In Acts 6, the disciples learned a similar lesson we can all learn from. When disputes broke out over widows being overlooked in the daily distribution of food, they felt distraught (vs.1). This was an unfair issue that needed justice! Yet, the disciples knew that while they could attempt to do it all, they shouldn't. Their mission was to share the gospel. What did they do?
They shared the burden and lightened the load by deligating that task (and many others) to those who could help. Acts 6:2-4 says it this way: "So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, 'It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word'" (NIV).
If you're struggling to do it all this year, might I remind you that you were never meant to do everything? God has empowered us through the Holy Spirit to do incredible things—things far beyond that which we could ever ask, think, or imagine (Ephesians 3:20). Yet, we're not called to do it all. We're finite humans with limited time, energy, and resources. The difference between anything and everything is realizing what's a priority and what isn't.
Let's pray:
Dear God,
As our Creator, you know how quickly we try to do it all. But if we're honest, this leaves us feeling famished, exhausted, and weary. As we start 2025, please help us to prioritize the "anythings" from the "everythings." Bring our priorities to the surface, and give us peace in knowing that while we can do all things through Christ, we were never meant to bear it all alone. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
Agape, Amber
Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/diego_cervo
Related Resource: Jesus Calling - Stories of Faith
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Originally published Thursday, 09 January 2025.
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