HIS to-do list
"If we really have too much to do, there are some items on the agenda which God did not put there. Let us submit the list to Him + ask Him to indicate which items we must delete.There is ALWAYS TIME to do the will of God." - Elisabeth Elliot
A few weeks ago, I made the decision to step off of Instagram…
Unless the Lord leads me back to it, any public sharing I do will be done via e-mail.
My consistent prayer is one of SURRENDER each morning. I don't want to pick up anything God has not asked me to. I know where that leads, and I've been there, done that, got the t-shirt, and wish I could return it. 🫠
I spent years chasing other things in His name, but without HIM. I also spent years chasing things in my own name, seeking to further my OWN kingdom. And while it may have had elements of fun, there was never peace.
The things I KNOW He's asked me to walk faithfully in:
Pursuing Him through His Word, prayer, + His people
Loving my husband
Motherhood
Homeschooling
Caring for our home
Teaching younger women (see Titus 2)
Writing – specifically to encourage + admonish other believers
I have been spending hours wrestling in prayer over anything extra to pick up. (Minutes here and there throughout the day that add up to hours – I tell you this because if I were you, I'd wonder, “Does Caitlin actually sit for hours at a time and pray?” The answer is: SOMETIMES.)
It can feel isolating and lonely, to be honest. As I see other mamas working in their giftings outside those those categories above, I fight the temptation to judge their situations and/or envy them.
But, the truth is, I'm not isolated. And, the loneliness, while truly felt, is met by God Himself, who walked an even lonelier road than I and can sympathize, which brings a world of comfort.
Because in the end, it's not about what I produce or obtain. It matters not what I accomplish. Eternity rests in and reflects HIS accomplishment. My part is simply to SURRENDER to His love – my obedience in response to His love.
Psalm 16:5 - “LORD, you alone are my portion and my cup; you make my lot secure.”
Nothing I'm saying is a prescription for anyone else's life, it's simply a description of my own. Creating + sharing content on social media comes with attending to any notifications that occur as a result — an almost constant stream of attempting to connect with others in a virtual space. I don’t think anyone would argue that, while we are more connected than ever, we are also more lonely than ever. In attempts at some sort of comfort or internal need-filling, my time spent on social media would inevitably lead to an endless scroll. (I know I’m not alone in this!) What an epic time-suck! The whole affair affected my attention to the items God has been clear I am to attend to. It's effect was always a weight of guilt I couldn’t shake because I knew I had addressed HIS LIST half-heartedly, simply to get through them, as if MY LIST was where true life + peace resided. 🤦♀️
I fought it for years. Friends would casually dismiss my distress and try and smooth it over with worldly wisdom. “But, you're not as bad as so-and-so.” “You're doing a great job! Look at all you're accomplishing!” “You're really making a difference!" “You need to give yourself grace.” (I think what they really meant is I needed to RECEIVE God's grace, but that's another talk for another day.)
Listen. I'm not pointing a finger as if I never said things like that. I'm as guilty as the next gal. But, what I am point a finger at, in hopes to stir the pot, is that as Christians, are we so quick to accept worldly wisdom as gospel truth? Where does it land us? For me, it was a consistent nagging of soul – the opposite of peace.
When I started steeping myself in the wisdom of His Word, I began recognizing areas of my life I had not surrendered to Christ. As I've begun letting go of those areas, I've noticed His to-do list for me is wildly easier than the to-do list I concoct for myself – and MUCH MORE PEACEFUL.
Can we be thriving social media influencers who walk in obedience to God + consistently experience His peace? I don't know. That's between you + God. Our journeys with Him never look the same. For me? In this season? The answer is “NO.”
Will I ever go back? Again, I don't know. But, it's not my job to know. It's my job to seek Him with all I've got, and He takes care of the rest.
There's so much more I could say about all this, to fill in the gaps for you of what this journey has been like, but that would likely take a book. 😂 And, someday, I hope to write it – LORD WILLING + GUIDING!
If you’d like to join my e-mail list and receive occasional Christian encouragement + admonishment, you can sign up here. I won’t promise any level of frequency, but rather will share as the Lord leads.
💛 Mama Hooper