Article by Kim Porta

For the most part, I’ve always been a do-gooder. By my very nature, I’m a take charge kind of gal. In the past, whenever I’d see a need and thought I could meet it, I’d often be the first in line to volunteer my help. As a Christian, I know and feel the responsibility of following God’s command to “lay down our lives” for one another (“Hereby perceive we the love of God, because He laid down His life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. ” I John 3:16-18).
As I write this, a little sigh of exhaustion escapes me. I’m a homeschooling mother of four (two of which are teenagers), I’m a leader in my church, a music teacher on the side, a wife, keeper of our home, a daughter, a sister….the responsibilities to just my own inner circle are measureless. While I’m still a do-gooder, and I still have that innate desire to help everyone everywhere, I don’t jump to volunteer for everything anymore. A few years ago, the Lord really began to speak to me about my need for wisdom and discernment in this area. I was very busy work, work, working, but chaos seemed to abound and I was not bearing much fruit. Though I was constantly “doing” something, not much was getting done. I was spread so thin with this project and that ministry, that my own front-line calling; fellowship with God and my family, was suffering greatly. My health took a nose-dive and my doctor promptly ordered me to go home, go to bed, and not do another thing for the entire rest of the week. For once in my life, I was happy to oblige. It made no sense to me! I was working on good, godly projects, so why was I faltering? As I cried out to the Lord in my frustration, He began to lovingly teach me about the priorities of good, better, and best.
2 Corinthians 9:8 states that “God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:” That was a verse I really held onto in those times when it felt like my life was literally spinning out of control. But as I would pray and ask God to help me accomplish everything I thought I had to do, He led me to another verse; “Faithful is He that calleth you, who also will do it” (I Thessalonians 5:24) As I read it, God’s Spirit really brought emphasis to the word, calleth. It was through God’s rhema and logos Word that I was almost instantly set free! Every good work was not necessarily my good work to which Almighty God was calling me. He helped me to realize that many of the very good things I was doing were a self-calling, neighbor-calling, or a someone who just didn’t want to do the job themselves-calling! It was at that point that I really began praying about everything I did. Anyone who knows me very well can attest to the fact that now when I’m asked to help out somewhere, my immediate response is, “Let me pray about it”. God never lets me down. He doesn’t lead me through every single open door of opportunity; just the ones He has opened for me.
If you’re like I was (and still am, from time to time), you know the great battle for our time and God-given gifts and abilities. I strongly encourage you to go to the Lord and ask Him to prioritize your life. As the author of all things, who knows better than He, what is good, better, and best for you in your service to glorify Him?