I like to succeed. When I put effort into doing something, failure is the last result I desire to see. Every single day, I work toward many goals, and I want good to come out of them.
A few years ago, I led a meeting in an effort to present homeschool leadership opportunities to a group of ladies. I sought to build a team of leaders. Somehow, in the mix of dynamics in the meeting, the conversation strayed far from my agenda.
As I drove home, I had an overwhelming sense of failure. My feelings told me that I had wasted the time of every person who attended. Success was the last word I would have used to describe my work of the evening.
I know that you, too, put effort into many different tasks each day. There are many items on your agenda today, and I’m sure you want to succeed in each of them.
Especially in our homeschools. We want to succeed for the sake of our children.
There is one simple way to succeed in everything you do.
“Commit to the Lord everything you do. Then your plans will succeed.”
Proverbs 16:3 (NIRV)
You might know this verse from other versions which say “Your plans will be established.” But I love the simplicity of the New International Reader’s Version, written for early readers.
Your plans will succeed.
Successful plans. That is something I can understand. That is something I want.
If you will commit to the Lord everything you will do today – every plan, every task, every goal – These plans will succeed. Period.
Does this mean our plans will always look like success? Not necessarily.
This is a matter of trusting that God, in some mysterious way, makes all things work together for good. (Romans 8:28) It is a matter of trusting that He is sovereign over all, even what feels to me like failure.
The key to succeed is to commit.
Commit – “To put into charge or trust; To entrust”. Have you put Jesus in charge of everything you plan to do today? Have you entrusted to Him the outcome of all your efforts?
Yes? Then trust today will be a success. Even if it ends up feeling like a failure.
That meeting I led? It felt like a total failure.
But the truth: I had committed it to the Lord before I began.
The result: It was a beautiful success. More than half of the ladies who attended are now in leadership roles in my organization.
We can trust that everything in today will succeed if we will commit everything to God.
Today’s Heart Challenge:
Commit today’s agenda to the Lord.
What is on your agenda today?
Write down a list of your tasks and plans for today. Commit them to Jesus. Entrust them to the One who is all-powerful. Put God in charge of everything.
Then look for the success.
Today’s Homeschool Prayer:
Sibling Relationships
As we have journeyed through various areas of our homeschools that can be unrestful, I keep thinking we have hit the hardest area for me personally. Then we reach another area that feels more unrestful.
I’m there again today: Perhaps this is most unrestful for me.
Sibling relationships. The fussing, pestering and bickering drives me crazy. Honestly, some days I think I’m losing my mind. Yes, my husband and I are intentional in character training and consequences for wrong behavior. But I just can’t change my children’s hearts toward one another.
Changing hearts is the work of the Holy Spirit.
So I must stand in the gap for my children’s relationships and ask God to do what only He can do.
But their hearts are not the only ones that need changing.
When considering my unrest over my children’s sibling relationships, my heart needs the touch of the Holy Spirit. It’s another cue that I need to draw closer to Jesus. So I will evaluate, surrender, and receive His rest even before His work is complete in them.
Seek Jesus first. He can give rest to your heart in the midst.
Write out your prayer as you evaluate, surrender and receive rest with your children’s sibling relationships.
EVALUATE
- Ask yourself if this area of your homeschool life is currently restful.
- Ask God to reveal any cues of unrest in your heart.
SURRENDER
- Surrender your efforts to fix the problem.
- Surrender your expectation of the outcome.
RECEIVE
- Ask God to give you grace and rest in the midst of your current struggle.
- Ask Him to give you guidance for ONE THING you can do to cultivate rest in this area.
Keep seeking Him first!
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