What’s a Nothing Wasted Life?
Change always comes with a story.
My story is over years of experimenting with ways of living everyday life. Some helped. Some didn’t. For example, a helpful one was discovering a weekly “finish line” where I could close out (mentally and emotionally) the last week and prepare for the next. But many of those seemed to recycle way too many things.
So each week I planned — but ended tired. Not always physically but inwardly.
While the planning and review helped, it still seemed to be missing something. Week to week I struggled to make progress on the calls, responsibilities, and relationships that seemed important.
And little of what I was doing was easily placed in a “bad” or wasteful category. If anything it was the situation of “too many goods.” And then throw a few moments of distractions, emergencies, or the “tyranny of the urgent” and it was difficult to live with a sense of peace.
Not surprisingly, there was a sense of being out of sync with what mattered — what God would call or invite me to do. Often the demands of urgency overcame the call to the important people and projects. Other times it was the challenges of distraction or wasting my time.
Often the demands of urgency overcame the call to the important people and projects.
What was going on? And how could I live better with God AND others?
More Than Life Planning, Productivity, or Time Management
This desire to live life well and with God led to more prayer. And one verse that struck me often was “Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk—not as unwise people but as wise— making the most of the time, because the days are evil. So don’t be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.” (Ephesians 5:15-18).
And so I began to pray, research, and experiment with how I can live my spiritual life with the practical elements of living found in themes like productivity, life planning, “lifehacks,” and time management. My hope was to live my “everyday” life in greater faithfulness in following the Triune God — even if imperfectly.
And from the tensions came some questions:
- Are we busier than past generations?
- What leads to a sense of purpose and peace?
- How do I live with a sense of God’s presence in everyday (or even a busy) life?
- What is a Christian view of life stewardship or whole-life discipleship?
- How do general productivity and time management ideas work (and not work) in the life of following Jesus?
- How is Christian life planning different from general life planning? How is it the same?
This time of discomfort and discernment led to a realization:
Pace of life is important but even more important is a Presence in your life.
Four Ideas: Distraction from God to Discernment with God
One beginning thought that provided a simple answer was that our modern times have more going on than in the past. But that was too simplistic and a few things came clear.
- We are not busier than other generations, but we do have more distractions.
- Meaning comes less from productivity and more from a presence — God’s — in the “everydayness” of life.
- Practicing Christian life planning makes a difference in how God is present in the everyday moments.
- A good life plan brings God’s presence into the distractions where discernment bears God’s fruit in our living.
Christian life planning brings the presence of God into the distractions where discernment bears God’s fruit in our living.
It’s that discomfort and discernment that leads to a “Nothing Wasted Life” which captures the sense of both God’s purpose as well as His presence for everyday life.
Now I knew I desired to live close to God in everyday life in a fulfilling way that lived a life worthy of the Lord. And now I found myself thinking about a couple core thoughts to the Christian life. That’s next.
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THIS SERIES shares the big picture and story around the idea of a Nothing Wasted Life. Check out the other posts:
- 4 Ideas to Begin Your Move from Distraction to Focus in Your Life
- Lessons Learned: Two Core Lenses to Living Your Everyday Life with God
4 thoughts on “4 Ideas to Begin Your Move from Distraction to Focus in Your Life”
I appreciate the questions in this post. How does a good life plan bring God’s presence? I wonder how God’s grace and will play into all of this? Thanks for this post and sharing of your journey.
Good question Mark. At this point in the journey, I am learning to live my day-to-day planning as discernment with God. It has been a good step in a spiritual practice/discipline that’s bringing more of a reliance on His grace and turning my mind to Him in everyday life. Looking forward to learning from you along the way too!
Good word, thanks for sharing!
Also, love the photo! I recognize that this must be Angel’s Landing in Zion, right? What a crazy and fun hike that is!
Thanks Neil! That’s cool that you recognize it too. It looks like a beautiful place to stretch my hiking experience, although the heights will challenge me.🙃
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