When Chaos Causes Me to Lose Focus

What do we do when chaos causes us to lose our focus?

“And Solomon, my son, learn to know the God of your ancestors intimately. Worship and serve him with your whole heart and a willing mind. For the Lord sees every heart and knows every plan and thought.” 1 Chronicles 28:9 NLT

I wrote it in my new planner, the one with all the space for goals, plans, and action steps.

I jotted it down on my desk calendar at work.

I scribbled it next to a little circle on my to-do list notepad.

And I still forgot to bring the ‘thank you’ card to work for my co-worker this week.

Actually, that’s not exactly accurate. When I got home from work on Friday, I found it tucked in the side of my bag. The card did make it to work, I just never took it out of my bag to give it to her. The task didn’t get done. (So much for the satisfaction of drawing a checkmark next to the item on my list.)

As a result, frustration came in like an overpowering wave. How could I be so forgetful?

How do we go from chaos to focus?

We’ve been in a busier-than-usual season at our house. The list of things that must get done keeps growing, and I find myself putting off everything until the weekend. There’s just one problem with scheduling everything on Saturday.

 Saturday comes, and I’m too tired to tackle the list.

 So another week passes, and next Saturday’s list is even longer. And so on. And so on.

In those times, I feel like chaos has taken over. My mind struggles to focus on just one thing, much less a never-ending list of things that have to be done this week. It’s hard to feel content when chaos surrounds us, but God gives encouraging direction in the story of David giving instruction to Solomon regarding building the temple.

David wanted to build a temple to hold the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant. But David wasn’t the man for the job. (To read more about that, visit a post I wrote for Encouragement for Today here.)

When God chose Solomon to complete the job, David shared this with his son as he commissioned him to begin the work God called him to do.

“And Solomon, my son, learn to know the God of your ancestors intimately. Worship and serve him with your whole heart and a willing mind. For the Lord sees every heart and knows every plan an thought.” 1 Chronicles 28:9 NLT 

As God’s children, we are commissioned and called to worship and serve Him. In this verse, we learn a valuable detail concerning these things. We are to worship and serve with a whole heart and a willing mind.

When I keep my whole heart and a willing mind, set on God, contentment will outshine the chaos.

Lord, I give you my whole heart and a willing mind.  

David continues on from there with a reminder that God knows our thoughts and plans. And thankfully, His plans for us are better than our own.

Can I admit something to you? This morning when I woke up and turned on my tablet to read my Bible app, I noticed something. In the midst of a chaotic week, I’d rushed through my morning routine and hadn’t finished a single day’s reading. Not. Even. One.

So I guess you could say I didn’t offer my whole heart or a willing mind this week. I forged my own plans. I let chaos rule instead of seeking contentment.

But David’s inspiring speech to Solomon gives us hope today. Putting God first in our hearts and minds will keep us focused on things that matter.

Has all the chaos going on in your world caused you to lose focus?

Let David’s words from Scripture renew your peace today. Begin fresh with a whole heart and willing mind Then allow yourself to just be as you sense unsurpassed contentment and regain focus.

The Fascinating Truth About Being a Busy Woman

The women’s ministry at your church is planning a trip to a women’s conference. It’s going to be epic! Everyone’s excited. Everyone, that is, except you. 

With small kids at home and a husband who travels, an out-of-town trip just isn’t possible right now—not to mention the grandparents can’t help out. They live miles away.

Maybe that event you’re missing isn’t a women’s conference. Perhaps it involves your co-workers, other mom-friends, or an open door you’ve been praying for. 

I’ve been there too, fellow go-getter. 

We like to stay busy. Keep our schedule filled with good things. But the reality is, if we try to do ALL the things, we’ll end up burned out and joyless. That’s why we need to be aware of one fascinating truth about being busy.

Our busy schedules can often make us feel like we’re missing out on important things.

One Thing Busy Women Fear Most

As busy go-getter girls, we cringe at the idea of missing out on an opportunity. That’s especially true for those of us who love to set goals and work to get things done. 

Missed opportunities can leave us feeling like we’ve lost a chance that may never come again. To break free from the battle with this persistent fear, we can guard against it with a little inspiration from God’s Word. 

What to Do When We Feel Like We’ve Missed Out

When we are afraid of missing an opportunity, let’s remember that this is a season. We may not be able to go everywhere or do all the things, but we can embrace contentment by discovering the joy in the specific season God has for us today.

Philippians 4:11-12 says, “I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.”

Contentment. That’s the answer in Paul’s words. But if we know we should feel content, why do we still battle this fear of missed opportunities?

Because being busy can overshadow the peace God longs to give us.

The Power of Contentment Over the Fear of Missing Out

Contentment holds power. Paul knew this, which is why he encouraged the church with his own experience. He’d been through it all— times of plenty and times of want. Yet he learned the power of choosing to be content. 

Like Paul, we will have times of more and times of less.

Choosing contentment over fearing what we’re missing means discovering joy in our everyday lives. The busy days, the lazy days, and everything in between. 

Are you battling the fear of missed opportunities today? Let’s find our inspiration in Paul’s life lesson. Let’s replace the one thing we fear most with renewed contentment.

A portion of this devotion is an excerpt from an article by Kristine Brown, “What Is Scripture’s Answer to the Fear of Missing Out?” originally published on iBelieve.com.