You’re Not God — Stop Acting Like It! by Rick Warren

“Only someone too stupid to find his way home would wear himself out with work” (Ecclesiastes 10:15 GNT).

You’re not God. You don’t have all the answers. You can’t do everything. If you’re struggling to find balance in your life, that one admission can transform everything.

The Bible says, “Only someone too stupid to find his way home would wear himself out with work” (Ecclesiastes 10:15 GNT).

It’s just plain dumb to wear yourself out with work. When you overwork, you’re playing God. You’re saying that it all depends on you, that the world will crash down around us if you don’t keep the world spinning. That’s just not true! You’re not the general manager of the universe. You can resign. The universe will not fall apart. God has it under control.

Often one of reasons we do this to ourselves is that we try to please everyone. Learn this lesson today: You can’t please everyone. Even God can’t please everyone! One person wants it to rain. Someone else wants it to be sunny. Only a fool would try to do what even God can’t do.

When we live for the expectations of others, we pile on ourselves tons of “shoulds.” We tell ourselves, “I should work more hours,” “I should go to this seminar,” or “I should volunteer for this assignment.” But realize this: No one is holding a gun to your head. Overworking is your choice. You choose to take on the extra work or to not take it on. And you choose the consequences that come with that choice.

When you deny your humanity and try to do it all, you’re robbing God of his glory. The Bible reminds us of this in 2 Corinthians 4:7: “We have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us” (NIV). Paul reminds us that we’re human beings. We’re feeble and fragile. Jars of clay break easily. If you drop them, they shatter. Clay pots have to be handled appropriately and with care. If not, they’ll be destroyed.

But the good news is that through our feebleness, the power and glory of God shines through. Your humanity isn’t something to hide. Instead let’s celebrate the power of God working through our limitations.

So admit it: You’re human. Thank God for that!

Talk It Over

What tends to tempt you to overwork?
What do you think about this: “You rob God of his glory when you try to do everything on your own”?
How can working too much actually lead to a bad work ethic?

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