John W. HiegelThe Overthinking Christian Journal • Faith & Everyday Life
Have you ever had free time and felt guilty because you weren’t using it to do something for God?
I have.
For me, that feeling often turned into another ministry task. Something for The Overthinking Christian. Another opportunity to serve at church. Another way to help someone.
Wanting to serve God wasn’t the problem. But I became so caught up in those good things that they began pulling attention away from my family and my responsibilities at work.
I needed to ask more than, “Is this a good thing?” I also needed to ask, “What is this taking my attention away from?”
When faith becomes a measuring stick
Recent responses to a Facebook post helped me see how this pressure shows up in other ways.
One person described feeling inadequate because a friend could memorize Scripture and recall verses more easily. Another shared discouragement over inconsistent prayer and Bible reading, along with the fear that God was disappointed.
Those responses deserve more than another instruction to try harder.
Reading Scripture, praying, and serving matter. But we can begin using those practices to measure our worth instead of allowing them to help us grow closer to God.
For me, that pressure showed up in how I viewed available time. If I could be doing more ministry, I felt that perhaps I should be. But I wasn’t always considering what those commitments were costing elsewhere.
What Moses and Jethro help us see
I think about Moses in Exodus 18.
He was helping people, answering their questions, and settling disputes from morning until evening. This was meaningful work.
But when Jethro saw what was happening, he told Moses that the way he was doing it wasn’t good. He couldn’t keep carrying all of that by himself.
That challenges me because I can assume that if something helps people or serves a ministry purpose, I should keep giving it more of my time.
But a good purpose doesn’t mean the way I’m pursuing it is sustainable.
With The Overthinking Christian and serving at church, I had to recognize what those commitments were taking my attention away from.
My family and my responsibilities at work mattered, too.
I’m learning that being willing to serve also means being honest about my limits.
Jethro advised Moses to share the responsibility with capable, trustworthy people while continuing to teach and handle difficult matters. He also placed that advice under God’s direction.
This passage doesn’t say Moses was neglecting his family. That connection comes from my own experience. What it does show is that meaningful work can require help and a different way of carrying the responsibility.
Read Exodus 18:13–23 .
My family and work are places to follow God
I care about The Overthinking Christian. It’s a place where I share my testimony, my questions, and the lessons I’m learning.
I also have a wife, a daughter, and responsibilities at work. Those parts of my life deserve my presence and attention. They are places where I have opportunities to love, serve, and practice faithfulness.
Preparing something that encourages other people cannot become an excuse for overlooking the people already in front of me.
A good purpose doesn’t remove the need for wisdom about how I use my time.
Sometimes that wisdom means listening to the people affected by my commitments. Sometimes it means asking for help or changing my plans.
Growth is not the same as earning grace
Ephesians 2:8–10 places grace and good works in their proper order. We are saved by grace through faith, not by works. Paul then describes believers as created in Christ Jesus for good works.
Good works matter, but they are not the price we pay to earn salvation.
That matters when another Christian remembers Scripture more easily than you do. Their ability does not determine your standing with God.
It matters when you recognize that your prayer life needs attention. You can pray now instead of waiting until you have established a better record.
And if you are experiencing illness or another painful season, that hardship alone does not prove God is punishing you for failing to pray or read enough. We should not assume we know why someone is suffering.
Hebrews 4:16 invites us to approach God’s throne of grace for mercy and help in our time of need. We can bring our struggles to Him honestly.
Read Ephesians 2:8–10 and Hebrews 4:16 .
What is weighing us down?
Hebrews 12:1–2 calls us to lay aside hindering weight and sin, run with endurance, and look to Jesus.
The passage does not list every possible weight. It does invite us to examine what hinders our faithfulness.
For me, that includes looking at how much attention I give ministry and what happens to my other responsibilities. It can also include examining the comparison and pressure we attach to spiritual habits.
Prayer, Scripture, and service are good. But we need to notice when we use them to compete, prove ourselves, or avoid another responsibility.
Something being difficult does not automatically make it a distraction. Some commitments require perseverance. We need wisdom to recognize what to continue, what to adjust, and where to ask for help.
Read Hebrews 12:1–2 .
One practical step this week
Choose one area to examine—not your entire life at once. Our motives can be mixed. The goal is to be honest about them.
Questions to reflect on
- What is motivating me here?
- Am I responding to a responsibility, or trying to quiet the fear that I’m never doing enough?
- What is this taking my attention away from?
- Who else is affected by this commitment?
If comparison has made Bible reading discouraging, read a small passage without testing yourself against someone else’s memory.
If guilt has kept you from praying, begin with an honest prayer about that struggle.
If a good commitment is crowding out another responsibility, talk with the people affected before adding more.
The next faithful step may involve continuing, adjusting, or asking for help. It does not always have to mean doing more.
I’m still learning that following Jesus is not the same as filling every available hour.
The companion video
Watch the full conversation
Join me for more of my testimony and a conversation about grace, comparison, and serving faithfully.
▶ Am I Doing Enough for God? | The Overthinking Christian
Scripture for further reading
- Exodus 18:13–23 — Moses receives counsel about sharing responsibility.
- Ephesians 2:8–10 — Salvation by grace and a life of good works.
- Hebrews 4:16 — Approaching God for mercy and help.
- Hebrews 12:1–2 — Running with endurance while looking to Jesus.
