27 And see that all these things are done in wisdom and order; for it is not requisite that a man should run faster than he has strength. And again, it is expedient that he should be diligent, that thereby he might win the prize; therefore, all things must be done in order.
When I wrote about this passage last week, I pointed out that King Benjamin paired temperance with diligence. He wanted his people to be wise and not to overextend themselves, but he didn’t want them to use that counsel as an excuse for mediocre effort.
But today, I’m thinking about the main message of the verse: don’t try to run faster than you have strength. The reality is that we all have limits. We may be able to accomplish great things with God’s help, but we can’t do everything we wish we could do. If we stretch ourselves thin and work ourselves to death with no time for planning or renewal, we may find ourselves accomplishing less than we would have with a little more self-discipline.
Today, I will take inventory of my responsibilities, organize myself, and recognize my limitations as I schedule my time and plan my work.
I love how you have a commitment at the end of your articles to improve and focus on something good. Helps to motivate me to do the same.