“I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, apart from Me you can do nothing.”
John 15:5
We are quickly approaching 2021! This year brought many challenges, lessons, and blessings. As 2020 is coming to an end, I’m reflecting on one thing I wish I would’ve done differently. In 2020, I wish I would’ve taken more time to invest in my purpose. Cyberlearning took over my life in 2020 and many ways, it made taking time for myself a lot harder. Often, our roles take so much from us, that we forget to place a priority on things that add to our purpose.
As a student, it was difficult for me to balance school and running my blog. In the summer, I had so much time to post articles every week and create promotional graphics. Once the semester started, I was pulled in many different directions that I let my blog fall through the cracks. The reality is, this year, I’ve let my purpose take second place to all of the other things in my life, and this is such a dangerous decision. I wasn’t feeding myself enough spiritually, so I wasn’t in the position to pour into anyone else.
For many people, their purpose may not be their career making it difficult to make it a priority. We live in a world that is so driven by monetary incentives that if it’s not paying us, it’s taking a backseat in our life. After writing my first blog post in months, I’ve thought a lot about learning how to prioritize in 2021. I was listening to a podcast earlier that said something insightful about balancing vs. prioritizing. That is, instead of trying to balance, we should prioritize because nothing in our lives deserves equal weight.
Within the last 10 months of starting this blog, I’ve received so many amazing messages about how much of a blessing it has been in my readers' lives. Every time I get one of these messages, it reminds me that my gifts are bigger than me. My purpose is connected to people and God has put them in a position to be affected by Gracefully Broken. If I don’t make that a priority, I’m forgetting about everyone who is connected to my purpose. In 2020, I spent so much time prioritizing things that were taking from me that I didn’t give enough time to the things that were enriching.
When I don’t prioritize my time with God, I physically and mentally feel a difference in my day. Being spiritually fed is a huge part of investing in ourselves because a moment in God’s presence can change the course of your entire day. Although quarantine has put things into perspective for many of us, the prevalence of technology has made it so hard to prioritize. Suddenly, everything becomes urgent, making it hard to separate what needs to take priority. In 2021, I’m challenging you to put your purpose first, whether it’s producing monetary benefits or not.
The Lord always has someone in place to take over if we’re not ready to step up and make our purpose a priority. His plans will never come back to Him void and His word will be fulfilled on this earth whether it’s through you or someone else. Instead of spending so much time investing in someone else’s life, why don’t you take that energy and invest in yours?
Ultimately, in 2021 the word balance is no longer in my vocabulary; it’s time to prioritize. Take inventory in your life and think about what slipped through the cracks this year. 2020 hit us hard, but in 2021 get prepared to invest in yourself. If you can spend 8 hours studying, you can spend one hour working on the book God called you to write or the podcast he’s been calling you to start. Start now praying that God's desires become your desires and your plans align with His. Gracefully Broken's theme for 2021 is prioritizing purpose and we are all going to work on that together. Cheers to a new year and the blessings it will bring.
Xoxo,
Girl with Grace
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