What’s on Your Plate?
- The Narrow Path
- Jul 7, 2023
- 3 min read
The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly (John 10:10, NKJV).
I love to eat. One of my favorite meals since I was a kid has always been the Filiatreau family feast that we have on Thanksgiving and Christmas. We use the banquet size plates, so I have to be careful not to let it get unbalanced and fall to the floor, which would result in a devastating loss of delicious food!
Now that I’m a retired athlete and no longer burn calories all the time, I don’t typically divulge in the same way. I’m more mindful about what I choose to put on my plate because I only want to select the things I love and know will fill me up appropriately.
As I’ve walked with Jesus over the last number of years, I try to apply this same concept to my life. When I routinely ask myself, What’s on my plate?, I am better able to make decisions about how to maintain a good balance. There are so many things in life that are competing for a spot on our plate.
Work. Kids. Exercise. Family time. Chores. Entertainment. Social media. Reading. Doctor visits. Sleep. And the list goes on.
If we aren’t careful, our plate gets too full, we find ourselves out of balance and end up with a mess on our hands. It often comes down to making good choices about what we choose to put on our plates. If someone gives me a choice between peas or mac and cheese, though I might take some of both, the portion of mac and cheese will always be bigger than the peas.
Life is about balance, too.
I’m a daughter. I’m a sister. I’m an aunt. I’m a friend. I’m a physical therapist. I’m a writer. I’m an FCA ambassador. I love every single one of those roles in my life, but if I’m not intentional about assessing how much space each one is taking up on my plate, I can quickly get myself into trouble.
I’ve been there before. I once stepped into a management role at work only to realize about six months later that it was taking up way too much space on my “plate.” A pause from work gave me the opportunity to recognize how much energy I was expending just trying to keep my plate from falling to the floor.
The Lord doesn’t call us to live a life with a plate that is not full. Quite the opposite actually. If we look to John 10:10 we are reminded of the truth that God wants an abundant life for us: The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
By prioritizing the things in life I feel the Lord is calling me toward I am able to walk through life with a plate that is full and balanced. When I’m leaning into Jesus to choose what’s on my plate, it allows me to receive the nourishment necessary to stay in step with Him. Though current roles may change, and new roles may come around, He will always fill me up.
Comments