100 Ways to Simplify Your Life

partnership, each party involved has a part. The partnership
works best when each one does what they are good at.
I tried to change many things about me and around me
that really only God could change. I tried to change my
husband, my children, my neighbor, myself, and my
circumstances. I kept failing, but I always had a new project
I was "working" on. I said I was trusting God, but the truth
was I trusted myself more. God's ways and timing are not
the same as ours, so when we get tired of waiting, we
usually take matters into our own hands. It does not cause
God to hurry and do what we want Him to do, but it actually
ends up making our wait longer and more frustrating.
It is important to know what we can do and then do it,
but it is equally important to know what we cannot do. Like
the old saying says, "Don't spin your wheels and go
nowhere." You can simplify your life by no longer trying to
do what you can't. We do not have to be super- heroes. Give

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yourself permission to be who you are--an imperfect human
being who needs help!
68
Change What You Can Change
"[God give us] . . . courage to change the things which
should be changed . . ."
-- REINHOLD NEIBUHR , "THE SERENITY PRAYER PT. 2
Remember that [by submission] you magnify God's work,
of which men have sung.
--Job 36:24
Simplifying a complicated life only happens when it's the
result of making positive changes, so we definitely need to
change what we can change. Some people say they hate
change, when really, they love the results of change; they
just don't like the process.
When things change, we often feel disoriented for a
period of time. We are not what we used to be and we are
not sure yet what we will be. Anytime we step out boldly to
make changes we take a chance that we might fail. What we
change into may not be as good as what we have, but then
again it could be much better. The only way to find out is to
step out!
Have you thought about changing something for a long
time and yet you have never actually taken steps to do it?
Good intentions can become a deeper and deeper rut. God
looks for those brave-hearted souls who hear His voice and
act accordingly.
The only way you will ever discover what you can have is
to give up what you currently have. Increase always
demands investment. I had to leave a secure job at a church
in order to start my own ministry. It was a frightening and
lonely time for me, but deep down inside I knew I needed to
make a change. I had to invest what I had, but I ended up
with much more than I gave up.
Regularly making necessary changes will help keep life
simple. As you prune (cut) things off that need to go, you

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de-clutter your life and make room for the fresh and new.
69
Be Realistic in Your Expectations "Expect nothing, live
frugally on surprise."
-- ALICE WALKER
And now, Lord, what do I wait for and expect? My hope
and expectation are in You.
--Psalm 39:7
If we expect something from someone we should really
only expect from God, we will end up disappointed and
frustrated. Ask God for what you want and need and trust
Him to work through whoever He chooses. The Bible says
Jesus knew human nature and therefore did not trust
Himself to people (see John 2:24-25). He fully understood
how imperfect people can be and how they are incapable of
meeting all our expectations all of the time. He kept good
relationships but at the same time was very realistic in His
expectations.
I got hurt very badly several times in life by expecting
people to give me what only God could give. One of the
lessons I learned the hard way had to do with a sense of my
own self-worth and value. For a long time, I looked to people
to make me feel good about myself when, in reality, I had to
find my true value in Jesus Christ and His love for me. If we
place our hope and expectation in God, we will not be
disappointed.
People usually don't intend to hurt us, but the truth is, we
all hurt and disappoint one another simply because we have
inherent weaknesses. We are naturally selfish and tend to
do what is best for us instead of what is best for other
people. As we mature spiritually through our relationship
with Jesus, we can overcome these selfish tendencies, but
while we are in the process of changing, we will make
mistakes.
Sometimes we expect something from others who are
not even aware of our expectations. We become hurt and

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angry because we feel let down, and the individual we are
angry at may not even know what he or she did to hurt us.
Make a decision to put your expectations in God. Trust Him
for what you want and need and it will make life a lot
simpler.
70
Progress Is Made One Step at a Time
"Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before
which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish."
-- JOHN QUINCY ADAMS
But let endurance and steadfastness and patience have
full play and do a thorough work, so that you may be
[people] perfectly and fully developed [with no defects],
lacking in nothing.
--James 1:4
Anything that grows and changes does so progressively.
When a seed is planted in the ground, it does not
immediately sprout and produce fruit. The farmer must be
patient and so must we. God helps us defeat our enemies
little by little (see Deuteronomy 7:22); rarely does He wipe
them all out in one fell swoop. As we are diligent to study
His Word, He changes us into His image, little by little (see 2
Corinthians 3:18). We inherit the promises of God through
faith and patience (see Hebrews 10:36).
Being impatient only tends to make us miserable, and it
does not make God hurry. His timing is perfect and the best
thing we can do is make a decision to enjoy the journey.
Enjoy every step of your progress, or you will waste a lot of
your life being frustrated about something you cannot
change.
Expecting instant gratification is an unrealistic
expectation and will only leave you frustrated and
disappointed. If you desire to simplify your life, then you
must change the way you approach everything.
Understanding that everything is a process which takes time

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will help you relax and enable you to enjoy every step of the
way.
The fruit of patience is a seed resting in you, and as you
wait with a good attitude, it develops and grows. You may
not be where you want to be, but you are making progress!
71
Wise Up Before You Burn Out
"We are made wise not by the recollection of our past,
but by the responsibility for our future."
-- GEORGE BERNARD SHAW
Happy (blessed, fortunate, enviable) is the man who
finds skillful and godly Wisdom, and the man who gets
understanding [drawing it forth from God's Word and life's
experiences].
--Proverbs 3:13
Wisdom is realistic! Wise people acknowledge their
limitations and avoid trying to be super human. God has no
limitations and can do things through us we can never do on
our own, but each of us can and will burn out if we don't use
wisdom in our scheduling and the commitments we make.
Jesus said when we are weary and overburdened we
should come to Him and He will give us rest (see Matthew
11:28). One of the ways He gives rest is by showing us what
we need to change in our lives.
Have you ever suffered from burnout? I have and it's not
fun; it's definitely not an experience I want to repeat. I love
my ministry but I remember driving by our office complex
one day and sticking my tongue out at it. At that moment, I
thought,
I don't ever want to hear the name Joyce Meyer Ministries
again.
Of course, I did not really mean that, but at that