Whether you’re a busy college student, an overwhelmed parent, or a high-achieving executive, with the Spirit you can make more out of your 24 hours than you can on your own.
The older I get, the more I want—and even feel that I need—to contribute to the world. But there are only 24 hours in a day, and sometimes it feels like accomplishing all the items on my to-do list in that amount of time would be like trying to feed 5,000 people with five loaves of bread and two fishes.
If Jesus could feed a huge group of people with very little food, can he not also work similar miracles for us in our modern-day hustle and bustle? He can and he does, often through the Holy Ghost. In the BYU devotional address “Thriving Spiritually,” Dr. Matthew F. Wickman sheds light on how the Spirit is Christ’s gift to help us accomplish far more than we might think possible.
Dr. Wickman challenges the idea that the Spirit is important only when it comes to spiritual things. “The Spirit’s influence extends to all areas of life: physical, mental, emotional, social, and more. Its inspiration is not limited to providing direction or confirming truth, and it can expand our capacities to learn and think, to create and enjoy.”
Photo by Cats Coming
To emphasize that the Spirit can influence all areas of life, Dr. Wickman shares the story of one of his students. The student, Moe, was burdened with a big assignment. To her surprise, she felt prompted to change her schedule to make time for scripture study, family, and friends before working on her project. Even though postponing her project didn’t make sense logically, she followed the whisperings of the Spirit, and “by the end of the day, the Lord blessed [her] mind with ideas and energy to get done all [she] needed to.”
After sharing Moe’s story, Dr. Wickam asks, “What if we sought the presence of the Spirit a little more intentionally? . . . Would we feel more connected to God and each other, and would we live a little more like the people we want to be?” The answer is a resounding yes. I know that as I’ve learned to let the Spirit lead me, he has enhanced every facet of my life.
Perhaps if we loosen our grip on the reins of our lives and instead put faith in the Spirit’s ability to influence our actions, we’ll find that 24 hours can miraculously be more than enough, just like five loaves and two fishes once were.
To learn more about how you can partner with the Spirit to reach your full potential, read Dr. Matthew F. Wickman’s BYU devotional speech, “Thriving Spiritually.”
Source: www.speeches.byu.edu
—Brooklyn Bird, Latter-day Saint Insights
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Find more insights
To learn more about letting the Spirit guide your life, check out President Russell M. Nelson’s talk “Revelation for the Church, Revelation for Our Lives.”
For ideas on putting the most important things in life first, read Oakli Van Meter’s Latter-day Saint Insights article “How to Prioritize and Accomplish What Matters Most.”
Very well written! I relate to this topic so much–it never feels like I have enough time to get everything done. It’s so comforting to think that the Lord can make my 24 hours a day enough when I put Him first. Thank you for sharing this message!