She considers a [new] field before she buys or accepts it [expanding prudently and not courting neglect of her present duties by assuming other duties]… – Proverbs 31:16a, Amplified Bible (AMP)

If we are not careful, we will spread ourselves too thin. From a desire to serve and to achieve, we can take on more responsibilities than we can possibly meet. If we fall prey to the temptation to do too much, we will inevitably neglect some needful matter(s), and failing to take care of the needful things is not a character trait that God honors.

It’s hard to know when to say no to opportunities to serve and to achieve, but the principle that should guide our decision-making process is found in Proverbs 31. Whether we be man or woman, the Proverbs 31 woman’s example is one we should follow. Before taking on a new responsibility, we should assess how the new responsibility will interfere with our current ones. If it is apparent that the new responsibility will make it impossible for us to meet our current ones, then we should respectfully decline. Or, if the new responsibility is one we believe God would have us undertake, then we should consider which of the old responsibilities the Lord would have us to drop. We cannot do it all, so we must be jealous of the time God has given us, making sure that we spend our God-given time on the things that are most important to Him.

The desires to serve and to achieve are noble. Just be sure that when you buy up opportunities to serve the Lord, you don’t commit to so many duties that neglecting the needful ones becomes a habit.