Our entire lives its as if we’re being drug around by all that screams for our attention. Be here, do this, stress about me, worry about that. It’s a never ending vicious cycle of life vying for our attention. We’re drug through our days by one thing after the next that feels most important in that moment, but do you ever get to the end of the day and wonder what was of any importance at all? Like what did you do all day long? Where did the hours go? What got your attention here? What were your thoughts on? Do you even remember?

Tucked away in the photos of my phone is a quote I saved from 6 years ago. A quote from Iain Thomas that says, “And every day, the world will drag you by the hand, yelling, “This is important! And this is important! And this is important! You need to worry about this! And this! And this!” And each day, it’s up to you to yank your hand back and say, “No. This is what’s important.”

Does that hit you like it hits me? Does any one else feel like you’ve spent this season of your life being drug by the hand responding to all the things in life that yell of their importance in the moment, only to realize none of it was really that important. Does anyone else feel like everything is such a mess that it all feels important? Does anyone feel so overwhelmed by it all that you’ve honestly just checked out? It’s like reading a text sent in all caps. Were they yelling at you? Was everything so important they had to put everything in capital letters?

Everything can’t be important. If everything is in capital letters, then absolutely nothing stands out. It’s all just overwhelming. It’s all too much.

Do you feel life life has been yelling at you in all caps? Screaming, “THIS IS IMPORTANT! AND THIS IS IMPORTANT! AND THIS IS IMPORTANT! YOU NEED TO WORRY ABOUT THIS! AND THIS! AND THIS!” And you simply don’t have the energy to worry about one more thing. You don’t have the capacity to add another thing to the already long list of things you seem to be failing miserably at.

Of course you just shut down. Of course you check out. Of course you wake up already exhausted. Life’s been yelling at you and you’ve been trying to respond to all of it, but you can’t handle it all. So you disconnect. You distance yourself. You feel numb. You stop caring. Your give a flying flip went and flew right off. Life continues to yell in all caps, and you don’t know how to respond to everything, so eventually, you stop responding at all.

If you’re not there yet, just know that’s what’s coming. Eventually if you keep being drug around by all that screams of it’s importance, you’re going to check out. You’re going to stop fully showing up for life. Your joy will be no where to be found in the mornings. The pep will go out of your step. Life will overwhelm you when it continues to drag you.

Don’t let it get there. It doesn’t have to, but it will if you don’t change something.

If life is already there, just know it doesn’t have to be that way for one more day. Your life can change today without a single circumstance having to change. Here’s where it changes. You hear the whisper.

Yes, the whisper. It’s the whisper of Jesus.

He whispers to your soul, “My girl, this is what matters.”

And you feel your overwhelmed and anxious soul just settle into this moment. The worries and the stresses melt away as you’re grounded in a way you haven’t been in a long time. This is what matters. Jesus grabs your soul, he takes your hand, he turns your eyes, and you breathe. You inhale his powerful, calming, assuring love, and you exhale the weight of the world you’ve been carrying. This is what matters.

Sit in that for a moment. Let him grab your soul. Let him take your hand. Let him turn your eyes. Breathe here. This is what matters.

Remember when Jesus had come to Martha’s house for dinner and there was a squabble between two sisters? One sister was doing all the work, while the other sister was just sitting at Jesus’ feet. One sister was being drug around by all that screamed it was important in that moment, while the other heard the whisper and knew what truly mattered.

Luke 10: 39-42, “Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught. But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.” But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.”

Do you hear those words? Insert your own name. My dear _, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about.

What is worth being concerned about? What Jesus is saying. What Jesus is doing. What Jesus is teaching. How Jesus is leading.

My Jesus says to me today, “My dear Pamela, you are worried and upset over all these details. Don’t. Don’t be drug by the hand, be led by my Spirit. Don’t be overwhelmed and worried. I’m right here and I’ve got this. Focus on me. Seek me. Listen to me. Follow me. I will show you the way.”

And right now, in your Spirit, if you were listening, you felt that. You can’t deny you felt that. A heavy burden was lifted. Light appeared in this darkness. Hope hit your heart and the screaming was silenced. You know what you just did there? You just yanked your hand back! You refused to be drug around by all that screams for your attention and your energy. Well dang, that feels good doesn’t it? Just keep doing that!

How often do we go through the day completely upset over crap that simply doesn’t matter? It won’t matter 5 years from now, and honestly it shouldn’t even matter 5 minutes from now if he would just yank our hand back and stop being drug around by it.

Am I saying sit in your nasty butt house and let the mess pile up around you? Am I saying dismiss your work and hope Jesus will do it for you? No. Do what you need to do, but don’t be ruled by it. Martha was worried and upset over preparing dinner. That was her choice. Wouldn’t it have been better to call for pizza delivery and stop stressing over a perfectly prepared meal? Wouldn’t it have been better to serve that dinner on paper plates so there wasn’t so much time wasted on the clean up? Wouldn’t it have been better to keep it simple and just be with Jesus?

Isn’t that the message today? Keep it simple and just be with Jesus. He doesn’t need you to stress about nonsense. Your stress fixes nothing. Girl, if you can’t do it with balance and joy, check yourself! No one enjoys the meal you cooked when they heard you throwing pots and pans around in the kitchen and cussing the oven. Calm down, Sis. Is this really important?

For real, I would rather sit on the deck with Chinese take out, watching the sun set with you, than wait on pins and needles for some meal you slaved miserably over all day and you’re so tired you can’t even enjoy eating with me. Wouldn’t our kids rather sit in the back yard on a blanket with us and eat a sandwich, than have mom yell over elbows on the table and chewing with their mouth closed? What’s really important here?

What’s really important? Your door being closed and not a member of the family allowed to disrupt you while you have your quiet time, or your family seeing you seek Jesus in the middle of the chaos?

What’s really important? Everyone looking good when they show up for school, or everyone feeling good because you focused on what was truly important?

What’s really important? The task done with perfection, or the task done with joy?

What’s really important? The goal achieved, or the journey enjoyed?

What’s really important? Every worry properly worried about, or every worry placed in the mighty hands of Jesus?

Where have you totally missed the point? What have you made way more fussy and complicated than it needs to be? Where have you worried and stressed and forfeited peace? Yank back your hand now.

Don’t be drug around by this again today. Be led by the Spirit of God which dwells within you. That Spirit will show you what’s truly important. That Spirit will show you the better way. That Spirit will lift the burden, calm your worries, and bring you back to this moment where you have everything you need. And today, you have the freedom to live in joy and peace and confidence, rather than stress and worry and overwhelm. And that feels a whole lot different at the end of the day!

Listen for Jesus today as he says, “This is what matters.”

Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com