If You Never Have Enough Time, Try This Hack
Time is my nemesis. I never have enough of it to do the things I want. I feel like it always goes too fast, and I underestimate how much I need to get something done. Time trips me up constantly, and this scarcity mindset leaves me frustrated and ungrateful.
And then I remember that I know the Author of time. I know Him! I’m in relationship with the One who sets the sun and rises it. And I’ve learned that gratitude connects us to God, past, present, and future.
Gratitude reminds us of what He’s done, focuses us on what He’s doing, and helps us walk closely with Him in dependence of future promises.
In Psalm 50, Asaph foreshadows a less-than-desirable outcome for those who forget God but says that the “one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me” and tells us that person will see God’s salvation.
I forget God when I’m in a hurry, but that’s exactly when I need to focus on His presence. I can remember the good He’s given me. I can look for His blessing.
Gratitude Reminds Us of What He’s Done
A teaching pastor at my church recently encouraged us to “build an altar” to the Lord for each of the milestone events in our lives that have clearly been God’s hand leading us, gently pivoting us in a new direction, or miraculously saving us.
God called His people to build altars, not for Him, but for us to remember.
I can easily rush past this in my perceived time shortage, knowing that God has been good to me, but not fully taking in the monumental provision He’s planned and executed in my life.
While I still haven’t made a run to Home Depot for lumber to build my altars, my husband and I will share stories that have shaped us individually and as a couple. And every time we do, I’m blessed by those memories and sit in awe of His generosity.
Building those altars reminds me of what He’s done.
Gratitude Focuses Us on What He’s Doing
Those big moments of God’s intervention are clearly worthy of praise, but those don’t happen every day. And most of the time, we can’t see the bigger picture He’s painting in the midst of the brushstroke.
Most days I’m living in that scarcity mindset, not having enough time to get all the things done. But God is in every minute of my busy day and He’s busy giving me good gifts (James 1:17).
My friend, Jill McCormick, shared her method of daily thanks. Instead of a typical gratitude journal where she writes what she’s thankful for and ends up with the same list of her most treasured blessings every day (altars), she lists what made her “heart happy” that day. Because isn’t that what God is in the business of? Isn’t He the one behind all of those little moments too?
I adopted her method and now (almost) every morning, I write a few lines capturing small moments from the previous day that made my heart happy, like when I catch the sunlight filtering through the trees or my daughter shares her heart with me on a walk or I get an encouraging text from a friend. It’s an intentional pause to help me focus, reflect, and marvel at what God is doing right now.
Gratitude Helps Us Walk in Dependence of Future Promises
When I remember how God has moved in big and small ways for me, I’m comforted and encouraged that He’ll continue working things out for good in the future.
The old hymn says, “Standing, standing, I’m standing on the promises of God.” Asking the Lord to help me stand on His promises helps me walk in hope for what’s to come.
Instead of racing the clock, I can look to God’s Word, stand on the promises I find there, and spend time communing with my good Father. Dependence takes surrender, which clearly is a struggle for me, but the more I practice laying down my agenda and relying on His plan, the easier it becomes.
Time can still trip me up, but when I practice gratitude in these ways (remembering the past, focusing on the present, and walking in dependence for the future), the Author of time replaces my scarcity with abundance.
Gratitude connects us to God, past, present, and future.
Meet Yohonna Smith
Yohonna Smith is the host of the Girls Talking Life podcast where you will hear God-honoring conversations to encourage you in your faith, life and friendships. She has four decades of friendship experience and a heart for connecting women to the Word of God and to each other.
Yohonna lives in central Ohio, along with her husband, two daughters and one bad dog. She is continuously challenged to find enough time in the day, to be brave enough to take action on the hard things, and to love Jesus more.
Where to find her . . .
Begin Within is a series to inspire a year-round lifestyle of gratitude that will impact not only your own life, but the lives of your neighbors as well. Gratitude is a theme we talk about often around here because it ties so closely into other missional living rhythms. Practicing gratitude reminds to keep our hearts soft and expectant and our eyes open. Therefore, the more we embrace gratitude, the easier it becomes to truly see our neighbors and where we can join what God is already doing in our neighborhoods.
If you would like to contribute to Begin Within, you can find the submission guidelines here.
10 Things You Might Be Doing That Keep Your Friendships Shallow
(+ 1 Simple Habit to Shift Your Direction)
If you long for deep, meaningful relationships, this is for you!
Creating Ripples
If you would like to cultivate rhythms in addition to gratitude that will empower you live on mission in your neighborhood, check out Cultivating a Missional Life: A 30-Day Devotional to Gently Help You Open Your Heart, Home, and Life to Your Neighbors. This small book will help you make a big impact in your neighborhood as you learn to let missional living flow from the inside out. Get the 30-day missional living challenge free when you purchase the book.
