An elder in Baton Rouge once told me, "Primary function and secondary function. You have to remember which is which." His words of wisdom as an elder and an engineer have stuck with me and have become a helpful filter when I feel overwhelmed by my responsibilities with Iron Rose Sister Ministries or my personal life stresses.
I find peace when I remember the primary functions to which God has called me and not get bogged down in the secondary functions.
We cannot do it all! As much as we try—and I know I do!
Our primary and secondary functions go through different seasons. In the ministry, I go through seasons of more concentrated writing, speaking, study, fund-raising, travel, communication, administrative tasks… you get the picture.
In life, we go through seasons in which our primary function is that of wife, mother, sister, aunt, grandmother, friend… yet we cannot neglect our other functions.
So, how do we juggle it all? How can we find peace when we feel overwhelmed?
We remember that our primary function and identity is as daughter of the King—and, as such, our relationship with Him guides us to do and be what He calls us to at any given moment. We live in each moment and fulfill our primary function at that time, trusting that He will give us the wisdom and the strength to accomplish the other things in their time (Ecc. 3:1-8).