LESS:
A few years ago, around New Years, I heard some radio DJ’stalking about the new year ahead and asking listeners to call in with one wordthat the caller was going to focus on for that year. I listened to a few callsand thought “Boy, is that ever cheesy!” Fast forward a year or two and around NewYears I felt God calling me to do just that focus on one word for the year. Forthat year my word was “Different.” At the end of that year, when I looked back,I wanted things in my life to look differentthan it did at the beginning of the year. I can’t tell you everything that happened thatyear, but one major thing was that I ran a 5k that year. I had never done thisbefore. I had no intent on doing it at the beginning of the year. And I did notdo run the race perfectly. I was slow. Very. Slow. And I walked some of it. Alot of it, actually. BUT, I crossed the finish line! And that was different forme. I was/am not a runner.
Now it is 2013 and yesterday I spent a few minutes thinking andpraying about this year. What do I want this year to look like? What does Godwant this year to look like? Almost immediately the one word thing came tomind. I thought “If I did that this year, what would my word be?” Just assuddenly, the word “LESS” came to mind. Fun, huh? So I spent a few minutes contemplatingwhat that might mean for me.
What does "less" literally mean? According to the dictionary it is: A smaller amount of; not as much; Of lower rank or importance; To a smaller extent; not so much; Minus; An inferior.
I do believe that “LESS” is a word God has given me, or rathercalled me to, this year. But as I contemplated less of certain things, Iquickly saw that less of one thing would likely bring more of something else.More of something that was better, more important, more eternal.
Less of what? Here’s a few things that came to mind:
1. Food: I need to lose weight. A lot. So eatingless would help with that right and require me practicing more self control.(PS – I’m going to reread a book “Made to Crave” by Lysa Terkeurst. It has alot of godly things to say about this topic).
2. Facebook/Internet/Phone time: Ability to doother things like read, etc. I would be more available to my children. I would beless consumed by my “unreal world” and more in the now.
3. Me: I am selfish. Less of me would mean moreability to love God more and others more – like those pesky neighbor kids. Theyneed Jesus. JUST LIKE I DO. My dislike of them being around shows just howbadly I need Jesus to intervene in my life and my heart. This would also makeit easier for me to be willing to open our home to those Daniel wants to reachout to. Not just those who are my idea.
4. Laziness: Not getting up before the kids byusing an alarm has me flustered because I have no time to myself in themornings. If I set an alarm and got up earlier than the kids – 7:00am, than Iwould have more time to have quiet time with God=More relationship! More timein the Word, more time to pray, some time to just sit and listen for Him tospeak. It would also allow for me to exercise in the mornings and maybe get ashower. Woah! Lofty goals, huh? Baby steps.
5. Clutter: That can only help my house staycleaner right? Let’s hope so. As GKChesterton said “There are two ways to get enough. On is to continue toaccumulate more and more. The other is to desire less.”
6. Chaos: Do I need a regular schedule? Maybe. I’llbe thinking on this. I get overwhelmed by the rigidness of a regulardaily/weekly schedule. My free spirit does not like the idea of this, but itsure would help things get done.
7. Christmas: I’ve been reading a lot on a blog(thenatos.com) about her quest to simplify their Christmas this past year andfocusing on instilling gratefulness in their family members. I easily get intothe mode of wanting to get my kids lots of stuff to make them happy, because Iknow they’d love this… and this…. And this….! But I want less of that greedystuff-infested attitude in me and more of the focus to be on Jesus and what abeautiful amazing miracle He did for us just by being born as a baby.
I’m going to stop there for now. If I continue I am going tobe so overwhelmed that I’ll give up before getting started.
Here are a few verses that I found in the bible when I searched for the word "less."
For now, you can pray for me as I begin my journey of “LESS”.Feel free to ask me how it’s going and call me on things you see going on in my life that don’t match up to this calling. I don’t know exactly what I think this will look like at the end of the year. And I’m ok with that. Mostly, at the end of the year, I just want to see evidence of positive change in my life. Forward motion. Towards a greater degree of Him and less of me.
Deut. 6:5: Love the Lord your God with all your heart andwith all your soul and with all your might.
Is. 41:24: Behold you are nothing . And your work is lessthan nothing; an abomination is he who chooses you.
2 Cor. 12:15: I will most gladly spend and be spent for yousouls. If I love you more, am I to be loved less?
2 Chron. 6:18: But will God indeed dwell with man on theearth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you, how much lessthis house that I have built!
For now, you can pray for me as I begin my journey of “LESS”.Feel free to ask me how it’s going and call me on things you see going on in my life that don’t match up to this calling. I don’t know exactly what I think this will look like at the end of the year. And I’m ok with that. Mostly, at the end of the year, I just want to see evidence of positive change in my life. Forward motion. Towards a greater degree of Him and less of me.
Oh, and as Daniel said – “Hopefully that doesn’t mean I’m going to lose my job this year.” Hehe!
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