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A Personal Devotional by Debbie Hall
Doing Less So You Can Accomplish More
One of the mistakes we often make is thinking that we can do it all. Satan loves it when we believe this lie! He watches contentedly while we busy ourselves doing so many things that we do none of them well. The result: we often spread ourselves so thin that the things God has truly called us to do suffer. We become workaholics who can’t say no to the tyranny of the urgent, and many things suffer. Then the swarms of “time locusts” descend and consume the time we could have spent with family and friends, and knowing and doing the will of God for our lives.
Fortunately, the leaders of the first church in the Bible modeled for all of us doing less so we can accomplish more. Let me give you the background.
In Acts Chapter two God supernaturally formed the first church in Jerusalem with well over 3,000 people. The same apostles who had walked with Jesus became that churches first pastor/ elders. Every day they were preaching and teaching and leading God’s people and the church was growing. In Acts chapter four thousands more were added. In addition to those responsibilities, most of the early apostles had wives and families, including Peter (I Corinthians 9:5). They were incredibly busy.
Acts 4:34-35 tells us that those believers were generously giving huge amounts of money to the apostles to meet the practical needs that other early believers had. Particular care was being given to take care of the widows in their midst. Chapter 6 opens with the apostles doing so much that they were exhausted and the overall ministry began to suffer. The first four verses read:
Now in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a complaint against the Hebrews by the Hellenists, because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution. Then the twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, “It is not desirable that we should leave the Word of God and serve tables. Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business; but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the Word.”
The apostles were not above meeting practical needs, and I have no doubt in the days that followed they still met needs when they saw them. But if they had kept trying to do it all, what they were called to do would have suffered immensely, and the entire church would have suffered for it. Their solution? Let go of some tasks so they could concentrate on what they were called to do. They decided to do less so they could accomplish more.
God blessed their decision to do so, and He will still bless people who do less so they can accomplish more today!
Their decision allowed the formation of the early church’s first deacons. This allowed new leaders to emerge in the church. Verse 7 says the Word of God spread quickly as a result of this decision. Undoubtedly Mrs. Peter and the other apostles’ wives were glad to have their husbands home a little more!
Let me encourage you to follow the example of the church’s first leaders! Do what you are called and equipped by God to do. Then go home and love your family. Say no to most of the other things that will just spread you too thin.
In their attempt to do it all the apostles realized that they were spread too thin and that their effectiveness was being hindered. May God give you the grace and insight to be like those apostles and commit to doing less so you can accomplish more!
Danny Campbell <><