It's pie time!

So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you (Romans 12:1-2 THE MSG).

What’s your favorite? Which ones have to a part of your holiday feast?

But there’s another pie I want to talk about. With year-end fast approaching, many are looking at how they finished out this year and what adjustments need to be made for the future. I know the church is. They are all campaigning now with stewardship drives – wondering just how much (or how little) they will have to work with this next year and how they will need to divide up the pie chart. The same may be said for you as well. Looking at your expenses and time involvement in all areas of life; determining what is really important; looking for areas of improvement and correction to the total pie you have to work with.

Certainly paying attention to your finances is important. But there is more to life than money. Your time. Your loves. Your abilities and talents. So I ask you: what does your daily life pie chart look like? How is that getting divided up? Does it really match up with what you believe is most important? Or are you overcommitting to things that are out of guilt and duty? Neglecting other important areas? Maybe a visual would bring you back into balance.

Relationships. Spiritual. Physical health. Emotional well-being. Work. Play. Giving. Sharing.  And yes, money. Just some of the areas we should be concerned about if we are seeking a balanced life. And being true to yourself.

In the busyness of the season, I pray you find time to sit by yourself and discover anew your priorities – what is truly important and necessary. And imagine, even draw out, a pie chart and consider how many hours will you invest in these priorities of yours. And above all, place it all before the Lord. He will be your faithful Counsel and Guide.