Do Fewer Things And Do Them More Effectively

“Do fewer things and do them more effectively.  Ruthlessly say no to distractions…Ultimately only ‘one thing is necessary.'”

“Test every demand for your attention by asking ‘why’ and other exposing questions.  Questions are mental machetes God gives us to slash through the overgrowth of the world’s demands on us.  We are not to uncritically take a new obligation on.  We must test it against what we want to become.  So we must ask the obligations questions like:  Why should I do this?  Why now? What is it promising me? What kingdom end will it accomplish?  Will it fragment my focus on my primary callings?  Why does it feel so emotionally compelling to me?”

“The goal is becoming adept at this through ‘constant practice’ (Hebrews 5:14) so that most entanglements can be discerned and resisted almost immediately.”  

The above quotes are all from Jon Bloom in his excellent article, Lay Aside the Weight of Fragmented Focus.



These are the questions I’m asking myself as I go through each day as a Christian wife, mother, and homemaker.  Is all of the busyness really necessary?  Sometimes it is, especially when you’re part of a family with different needs, interests, and goals.  But sometimes I’m creating unnecessary complications for myself, and trying to do too much!

Like the pile of sewing I had hoped to accomplish.  I’m giving myself permission to ignore that. And after getting a second-degree burn while canning applesauce last Saturday, I decided that apple butter made in the crock-pot and frozen is great!  And we’re dehydrating lots of the apples, too, which is something the kids can do all on their own. I’m simplifying wherever possible.  I tend to over-plan.

When, really, only one thing is necessary.

What about you?  Do you ever plan too many things and then find you can’t accomplish them all? 


Have you ever used Manuka honey to heal a burn?  I’m using colloidal silver spray and Manuka honey on my burn, and I’m wondering how well it’s going to heal.  I’ve never had a 2nd-degree burn before, so I don’t have much experience with it! 

16 Comments

  1. It's very true that the world wants our attention. Every advertisement, piece of mail, paperwork, bill, etc. demands it. I am struggling right now with having to give my attention to so many different places so I can graduate, get a raise, start a new job, etc. when all I really want is to buy this old little house with my husband, fix it up, and start our family…cook, crochet, and all the other romantic homemaking ideals I hold in my heart to raise my (future) children in Love. I am learning that in order for us to be free to follow God rather than run the rat race, we must sacrifice and invest now. For me, that means working hard NOW at something that is not so natural to me (real estate), despite my anxiety and homebody personality to invest in the future of our family.
    Your post was encouraging to me because this has been on my mind lately and I'm starting to realize that "letting go" does not mean indulging in my desires to stay in my house and cook and crochet all day, it means trusting God, and my husband through God, and doing what needs to be done. If my heart is set on giving my all to the children of my future, then I will give my attention to that now, by preparing.

    Andrea

    Reply

    1. Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts, Andrea! I'm so glad if this was encouraging to you. It sounds like you're making wise decisions now that will be a blessing to you in the future. Many blessings to you!

      Reply

  3. Hello Joy! Thank you for the link to the article… in the past, my focus was everywhere, it took my daughter's birth and her needs to keep my mind on one task at a time. I am sorry that you got burned, I have read that honey does heal it and soothes the pain also. I pray that it will heal quickly and well. Blessings to you and yours, m

    Reply

    1. Hi Maria! Thank you so much for your prayers! I'm still using the honey and praying that it totally heals very soon. It's such a bother to have a wound to deal with in the midst of daily activities. 🙂

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  5. Sorry to hear about your burn! My husband recently used propolis strips (from bees) to heal his horrible one. It did the job and we keep it on hand now. Good words of wisdom shared here today too 🙂

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  6. A perfectly-timed article for me. Thank you, again, Joy for posting such graceful words that point us back in the direction of the One for and by whom we live.

    I'm sorry to hear about your burn, but glad you're on the mend 🙂

    I love reading about all your seasonal adventures!

    Reply

  7. Great post! I'm so sorry that you got a 2nd degree burn! Dustin brought home some burn gel from his work that worked really well when Ellie burned her hand on an electric skillet a few months ago. Is it still painful? The gel would be more for the pain than anything. It has a numbing agent in it. Let me know if you need some. I'm so happy to hear that you've made good use of all those apples! Have a great weekend! ~Kristin Eason

    Reply

    1. Thanks, Kristin! Thankfully, it's not still painful. It's starting to form new skin, though, and it feels kind of itchy. Thank you soooo much for all the apples!! We've gone through several buckets and a bin full of them. We still have 3 crates and 1 box left, and I'm hoping to dehydrate a lot of them, as the kids like to eat them for snacks. Thanks again!

      Reply

  8. Great post and link to give encouragement for saying no to busy work that others would like to impose on us homemakers! love your blog!

    Reply

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