Obligations

Dictionary. com defines obligation as something by which a person is bound or obliged to do certain things, and which arises out of a sense of duty or results from custom, law, etc.

Do you have obligations in your life? I believe there are healthy obligations and unhealthy obligations. God has given us each a job to do here on earth, and we do that job despite our feelings. But at other times, we allow our feelings to lock us into obligations that are not healthy. Guilt and condemnation drive us to do things that first of all, God never asked us to do, and second of all, they make our lives "busy" and hectic, leaving us feeling like a "bad" person if we do not do them.

When you become a parent, you are obligated to take care of your child and to be a good parent. Yes, it is a blessing to be a parent, but let's be honest. There are days you don't feel like getting out of bed and being a parent, but you do because it is your obligation (your job) to take care of your kids. You do this despite your feelings.

When you have a job, even if you love it, you are obligated to show up for work and to do your duties. You also do this despite your feelings.

When you serve others, you are obligated to serve them as if you are serving the Lord.
Well, you don't have to, but what's the point if you're not doing it for God. You do this despite your feelings.

The bottom line is that we all have certain obligations in life. What happens when we do things out of guilt or condemnation? They become unhealthy obligations. I'm just speaking in general, and I'm sure someone could counteract this with an example that would defy this thought, but it's early in the morning, and my brain is thinking simple here.

I have a point to this, and I want to share what I am thinking by writing all of this.

Today, I want to talk about the unhealthy obligations that complicate our lives and make us too "busy" to do the things that God wants us to do. Let's start with the computer...(yep, here it comes)

How many hours do you spend on the computer daily? I'm singing to the soloist here, because I am on this same journey. The computer and the internet are amazing tools to spread the gospel and share Jesus, but even too much of a good thing can be a bad thing.

I am reading countless blogs of people who are taking a "break" from blogging because it is consuming their lives. Praise God! We're all on a similar journey. It's learning balance in the midst of our God given talents. We are asked to exhort (encourage) one another and lift each other. Yes, we do that, another praise God!

Although there are tons of examples of unhealthy obligations in our lives, I am going to focus on blogging right now. If you haven't been convicted of the amount of time you spend in this little world of blogs, don't worry, you will:) God wants us all to get our priorities straight and in order so we can do the job He's called us to do.

If you want to simplify your blogging life, read on. If not, it will just be a bunch of words.

1. You don't have to post everyday!!! There are times that I rack my brain for something thing to write, and realize, uh...duh...maybe I'm not meant to today.

2. Write for God... Write when God tells you to write, and write the words He's sharing with you. When you listen to the Holy Spirit, the words come and they flow and you have an amazing post within a short amount of time.

3. Don't follow a blog just because someone follows yours! It's a nice gesture, but totally not worth it. We want to repay the favor since we are so caught up on "politeness", but your dashboard will pay for it later. You end up with 149 blogs to read every day, and because you are so polite, you will feel obligated to read and comment and keep track of everyone at all times and before you know it, you have just spent hours on the computer.

4. Unfollow blogs! It's okay! I totally release you from following my blog!!! Totally. If you are following simply because I followed yours, and my blog doesn't speak to you, LET GO!

5. Don't let numbers define your "bloggy" self-worth! Just don't do it!!! A person with 149 followers isn't any more important than a person with 2. The person with 149 followers does have more obligated followers. Sorry, it's the truth. You follow them, so they follow you. You comment on theirs, so they feel obligated to comment on yours. It's a crazy cycle that will continue to get worse.

6. Release people of their obligation to follow you and to comment...Speaks for itself.
Learn to be o-kay with who you are in Christ. You are cherished and loved and adored and God longs to visit you constantly!!! He follows you, pursues you, and hangs on to your every breath and word. He rejoices over you with singing!!! He has tons of comments for you that don't change...if you'll listen! Comments on your blog mean nothing to your self-worth, except that it's a false sense of who you are. Get a picture of the God who LOVES you, even knowing EVERYTHING about you! If these people on your blog really knew everything about you, your quirks and all, you probably wouldn't have many followers. BUT CHRIST DIED FOR YOU KNOWING YOU WOULD HURT HIM OVER AND OVER AGAIN! That is a follower I want and the One I truly want to follow.

7. If you give something away, don't go through the whole ordeal of having someone blog about your giveaway, then follow you, then comment to you, and for another entry, comment again. Sorry, but that falls into the numbers game and you end up, once again, in a cycle of a false sense of self-worth, and your dashboard will despise you, your inbox will be crammed full of time-consuming e-mails. Is it really worth it???

8. If you follow someone, truly do it because you believe in what they are saying, and because they will tweak you to become more like Christ, or a better cook, or a better mother, or a better plant person, etc. I follow one woman strickly because she makes me laugh. ADHDme is my dose of laughter in a world where life gets too serious sometimes. She's better than a joke book, and she's real, and she writes about real things. Do as Betty does, and make a blog folder on your favorites, and visit that way.

My blog isn't for everyone. ADHDme's blog isn't for everyone. Chatty Kelly's blog isn't for everyone. We ALL have a population that God wants us to reach, and when we can truly step into that position and do that job, we truly will be able to reach who He puts on our blogs. Pray over your blog and don't change who you are simply because someone else has more followers than you. You are You! And God wants to use YOU to speak life into people. That is part of being who God has called you to be:)

Rejoice! Celebrate! Because God loves you with an everlasting love! You are important, but not because of your actions. You are important simply because you are!!!

Simplify your life, and free yourself of some unhealthy obligations in your life. (Now that I'm going to go down to 2 followers, I'm going to go get a dose of self-esteem from my Heavenly Father. LOL) Love ya guys!