Trying to balance being a mother of four children, a wife and navigating a career, has come with challenges over the years. Add to my busy schedule, all of the children’s activities consisting of baseball, football, dance, girl scouts and youth group (to name a few), I used to feel stretched beyond my capacity. The more opportunities given to me, the more I squeezed in. Soon, the stress became too much and I knew something had to change.

In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus sent out the twelve disciples, two by two, giving them authority to cast out impure spirits with the following instructions: “Take nothing for the journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in your belts. Wear sandals but not an extra shirt” (Mark 6:7-8). Jesus was telling them that all they needed was Him. The disciples followed Jesus’ instruction and went out preaching, driving out demons and healing the sick. This short section of scripture speaks to us today in our busy world, pulling us in so many different directions. Instead of cramming more things to accomplish into our already overburdened schedules, ultimately leading to more stress, there is another approach. We need to fill ourselves with Jesus, focusing on Him first. Only then will our world make sense. Starting with Jesus creates space for Him to lead and transform our lives. Jesus is enough!

When my children were little, in the rush of trying to be everything to everyone, I found myself squeezing in Jesus when I had time. I wasn’t praying consistently each day and I only read the Bible when it fit into my schedule. I had the best intentions, but they never panned out the way I had planned. I read the Bible to simply check it off on my list of things to do and promised myself I’d pray before I went to bed each night – but this rarely happened. I had it all backwards. I learned that I need to start everyday with Jesus, praise Him throughout the day, and end each day leaning in to Him as my head hits the pillow each night.

The Bible is filled with many miracles, but the only miracle found in all four Gospels is when Jesus feeds 5,000 men (which was probably more like 15,000 people if you count women and children). The Gospel of Matthew picks up the story after Jesus sent out the disciples two by two, where He hears about John the Baptist’s death. “When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place” (Matthew 14:13). It was only after Jesus removed himself from the crowd and prayed, that the miracle of feeding the 5,000 took place a few verses later. Even more powerful, immediately after this miracle, He made his disciples go ahead of him in a boat, dismissed the crowd and “went up on a mountainside by himself to pray” (Matthew 14:22-23). Jesus is a beautiful example for us, to come into the presence of God in all areas of our life – times of mourning, blessing and miracles. Only then does life make sense. Only then do we create space for Jesus to step into our lives and lead us.
The bottom line is this – we need to stop leading ourselves by what the world says we should do and lean into Jesus for the answers we are seeking. When we study His word, pray and relate to Him, we will start hearing Him speak his sweetest blessings to us, guiding us and stretching us to places we never dreamed of. The opposite is true as well. If we don’t study His word, pray and speak to Him consistently, we won’t recognize His voice so we can be led by His spirit.

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5-6).

Instead of squeezing Jesus in each day, we need to start with Him – only then will the world around us make sense. It’s a very powerful way to live, as we learn how to navigate through a world that demands our attention at every turn. You will gain wisdom, leading to less stress and peace that you are walking out the call God has put on your life. Once you experience the power of being led by Jesus, your life will never be the same.

Danielle Augustin inspires others to pursue their dreams and fulfill their God-given destiny. Married for over 26 years with four children, she has both heartwarming and painful experiences to share. Practicing law for nearly 20 years, first as a deputy district attorney, then as a founding partner at her private special education law firm, her perspective on the world around us is enlightening. Danielle believes in the power of prayer and hopes to inspire others to consistently come into the presence of God, seeking His will for their lives. She is currently in her last year of seminary and will be receiving a Master of Arts in Theology in 2019. Danielle has a deep love for the Lord and desires to share the lessons she has learned with other women in order for their lives to be transformed, so that they too can walk in the full power of God and live a life of faith, purpose and joy.