Stop Wasting Your Life

When you've sown much but harvested little

“You have sown much, and harvested little. You eat, but you never have enough; you drink, but you never have your fill… And he who earns wages does so to put them into a bag with holes.” — Haggai 1:6 (ESV)

Christian, you have a priority crisis.

I know, it’s not because you don’t care. It’s not because you’re not trying, because goodness are we trying.

It’s because your life has slowly filled with things that are loud… and crowded out room for what is truly significant.

You wake up already behind, moving from one task to the next, going through the motions at breakneck speed.

Sometimes you collapse at the end of the day wondering where your life is going and if you’ll live with regrets later. You worry about how to get more out of it.

In the background is that gnawing awareness that you’re not making enough time for God or things of the Kingdom. After all, you only have one life to live.

I have some good news for you: This is not new.

In the days of Haggai, God’s people experienced the same thing.

They had real responsibilities, real pressures, real needs. They weren’t sitting around doing nothing—they were BUSY. Building homes, managing life, trying to move forward after a hard season.

But they, like many of us, got so caught up in the day to day that they misplaced what mattered most.

And God stepped in with a diagnosis that cut to the chase:

“You’re working… but not satisfied. You’re consuming… but not filled. You’re earning… but it’s never enough.”

Life was a bag with holes.

And that’s what life becomes when God is not first—He’s there, but not FIRST.

See, the problem is never a lack of effort.

It is order.

They had time for everything except the very thing that would give their lives meaning, direction, and blessing.

And if we’re honest, we’re often times not that different.

We fill our days, but starve our souls. We manage our lives, but neglect our God. We stay busy enough to avoid asking the deeper question:

Is my life truly aligned with what actually matters, or am I just following cultural expectations and norms?

Am I intentionally and sacrificially placing God first?

What I see in the book of Haggai is that sometimes we need an interruption. A holy confrontation.

A moment to step out of the noise long enough to see clearly again.

Because God’s call in Haggai wasn’t complicated:

“Consider your ways.” (Haggai 1:5, ESV)

In other words, look at your life and examine your priorities. Pay attention to what your days are producing.

God’s words aren’t there to shame us but to wake us up.

Because the same God who confronts is the one who also invites.

“Consider your ways” is not a rebuke without a remedy. It is an open door. God was not finished with his people in Haggai’s day — he was waking them up so he could do something new in them.

That is exactly what I believe God desires for us now.

Which is why I put together a free retreat guide on the book of Haggai — a resource designed to help you do what God asked his people to do: stop, look at your life honestly, and reorder what matters.

It is my gift to you. And right now you can get it for free. (Scroll down to grab it!)

I have partnered with ten other Christian authors and creators for a special Mother’s Day giveaway and here is the beautiful thing about it: everyone wins.

🌼 Grand Prize: One winner receives a $500 spa gift card — a real, literal chance to step away from the noise and breathe.

🌼 Everyone else: Every person who enters receives a free resource from each of the ten hosts — guides, printables and courses for Christian women, including my Haggai retreat guide.

It is a collection of tools to help you do exactly what Haggai 1:5 asks — consider your ways, and choose differently.

My retreat guide will help you get away and spend 24 hours alone with God… and let Him prioritize your days.

Simply click the button below to enter. It takes sixty seconds and your free resources are waiting. I hope this retreat guide is a blessing for you!

Much love,

AJ

PS. For the skimmers! Enter our Mother’s Day Spa Giveaway here and get my Stop Wasting Your Life retreat guide for free.

😊 IMPORTANT - The Mother’s Day Spa Giveaway runs 5/6/26 to 5/9/26 at 3am Central. A random winner will be selected via KingSumo on 5/9/26 and notified within 48 hours. This giveaway is not sponsored or endorsed by anyone but the bunch of us. By entering the giveaway you agree to receive emails from the contributing giveaway hosts as part of their email list, but feel free to unsubscribe at any time. All winners must confirm their emails via KingSumo’s confirmation email. We reserve the right to make sure each winner’s email address is valid. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited. US Residents only. Must be 21+ years of age to participate. Thank you for entering!

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