Doing The Most Good: A Time To Re-Evaluate Your Activities.

In recent years I have adding more and more to my set of goals and activities. In my mind I believed that the more that I that I do equals accomplishments. It makes sense, doesn’t it? My accomplishments should equal as much as my activity demonstrates. Yet, I’m learning that busyness does not equal accomplishments. These are tough lessons to learn.

As I write this blog we are in the midst of a stay-at-home order by our governor because of the #coronavirus. We see the many news updates and follow the hashtags related. #COVID19 #stay-at-home, and this list goes on. All of our activities are reduced to what we can do at home unless our activities are essential. Often I would pack my schedule with as many opportunities as I can, believing that busyness equals results but this has become a new challenge for me.

It is a new reality for those that are non-essential workers. All of my activities feel essential. Yet, I am having to re-evaluate what I do to accomplish my goals. I am limited because of these new rules that limit my face-to-face meetings and my need to drive across the state for meetings. Recently, my appointments have canceled. It’s a new paradigm for how I typically interact with others. It is a new day for measuring my  progress.

Of course we all want to accomplish as much as we can and do the most good. Nevertheless we are learning how to reevaluate our activities. We quickly discover how much time we spend in non-essential activities.

It’s time to establish the right set of values personally but also our professionally. We often forget to ask the question of why we do what we do. Since the threat of the coronavirus pandemic it is a time to re-evaluate what is really important. It is time to discover how we can do the most good in these challenging times. Each of our activities must be essential, intentional and purposeful.

The role I serve in my organization is to connect and build relationships in order to help kids in hard places. Foster Care as ministry is what defines our why we exist Since there is the need for social distancing and limited travel, I am having to find new ways of engaging people. Thankfully there are many different avenues in today’s technological age. I have personally found a Zoom (a video chat technology) to be a great resource but there is also social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram. We have many other resources at our disposal including, to the surprise of many, the telephone!

We are encouraged to stay connected and to check in on those at-risk of becoming sick. Just the other day I placed a phone call to a senior who has a compromised respiratory condition to simply encourage her and let her know that she has been prayed for and thought of. I even asked her if there’s anything I could do for her. Just the other day I placed a phone call to a senior who has a compromised respiratory condition to simply encourage her and let her know that she has been prayed for and thought of. I even asked her if there’s anything I could do for her. It was such an easy form of ministry! even as our weekly Bible study group has gone to a video chat platform we raise concerns about those who could not join with us and made commitments to reach out to them.

I believe that we can definitely make a significant difference, doing the most good in the lives of others as we find new ways to connect. Our busy activities, the non-essential and essential, keep us from doing what is most productive. we could become so distracted that we forget what is our primary purpose in our personal lives but also our professional work.

The scripture reminds us to commit our actions to the Lord. It’s this simple understanding that as we look to the Lord, our actions can succeed. Perhaps that’s where we have to begin, not by what we want to accomplish but by what God calls us to value most.

This season of time when we are forced to reevaluate our activities we should also reevaluate what’s truly important and which values we hold most essential in our lives. It’s during the season of time that we can even better define our purpose, that is the reason why we get up in the morning. We can start by asking ourselves several basic questions and reevaluate what we hold most valuable.

1. Write a simple sentence that answers the question of why: Why do I exist? Why is this important? Why do I get up in the morning?

2. What are the top three values that you hold as most essential? Is it your life? Is it the things you own? Is it the people in your life?

3. Write out your mission statement for your personal life.

For me, it begins with Philippians 1:6 that has been a tremendous passage of scripture and my life verse that reads: “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.“ Furthermore, my reason for existing is to carry out God‘s ministry and Calling to help others to know their value! I am self-motivated & relational, pioneering ventures that connect people to their strengths & passion.

4. Listing your priorities based on you mission statement and your top three values can help in discovering the essential activities. These will keep your priorities before you!

As you discover how to make the most of every opportunity and figure out how you can be doing the most good, you should reevaluate your activities and prioritize your set of goals so that you are in alignment with your purpose in life in your personal as well as professional life.