What if the biggest problem with our busy lives isn’t what we forget, but what we keep deciding can wait?
We say God comes first. But sometimes prayer can wait. Serving someone can wait. Generosity can wait until we have a little more.
Meanwhile, the urgent things get our attention, and the eternal things get our leftovers.
I recognize that struggle in myself.
Sometimes I move through life like a tornado. I lose my keys, forget the date, and leave little piles of papers everywhere. I’m fairly certain I need a secretary. Since hiring one isn’t in the plans, I make lists to keep some resemblance of order.
Recently, a dear friend asked me for a favor. I knew I needed to write it down. Her request mattered because she mattered. I didn’t want my forgetfulness to leave her feeling overlooked.
That made me pause. Am I giving that same attention to the things that matter to God?
A forgotten task doesn’t mean we don’t love someone. But repeatedly dismissing what matters to them deserves an honest look at our hearts.
Our relationship with God deserves that honesty, too.
Scripture gives us practical ways to express our love for Him. They reach into our schedules, our work, our relationships, and the choices nobody else sees.
- Seek Him. Make room for prayer and time with God. Come honestly, even when your thoughts are scattered. You don’t need impressive words to draw near to your Father. (Matthew 6:6; Hebrews 11:6)
- Work faithfully. Bring integrity and care to your responsibilities, including the tasks that go unnoticed. Your work can honor Christ even when no one thanks you. (Colossians 3:22–24)
- Choose obedience over comfort. Following Jesus sometimes means surrendering what we want. Ask Him for the willingness to take the next faithful step. (Matthew 16:24–27)
- Serve someone in need. Jesus spoke of something as simple as giving a cup of water. Small kindnesses matter to Him. Notice the person in front of you. (Mark 9:41)
- Remain faithful when following Him costs you. Rejection for Christ’s sake can hurt deeply. Jesus assures us that such faithfulness is seen and that there is reason for hope. (Luke 6:22–23)
- Love sacrificially. Give without making repayment your condition. Let God grow a generosity in you that reaches beyond convenience. (Luke 6:35)
- Share what you have. Your time, abilities, and resources can become gifts that bless others. You don’t have to wait until you have more to begin. (Matthew 6:3–4; 1 Timothy 6:18–19)
This list may feel challenging. It challenges me, too. But we don’t have to transform every habit before we can take one meaningful step.
Begin with a prayer. Follow through on an act of kindness. Complete a responsibility with care. Share something you have been holding tightly.
We do not do these things to earn God’s love. We do them because we are loved, and we want our lives to answer that love.
Scripture also connects faithful obedience with reward. Our Father sees what others miss. The quiet gift, the costly choice, the unnoticed service: none of it is wasted in His hands.
Today, consider one question: What matters to God that I have been treating as something that can wait?
Then ask Him to help you act on it.
There is eternal value in the ordinary opportunities before you. By His grace, you can begin right where you are.
PRAYER: Father, forgive me for giving You what is left over while giving everything else my best attention. Deepen my love for You, and help that love shape my choices. Open my eyes to one thing I can do today that matters to You. Give me a willing heart to follow through. Amen.
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