Irons in the Fire

We are all busy people, and seem to be getting busier. At the time this blog post gets published, we will be one week away from Thanksgiving. Does that scare anyone? Think of all that needs to be done. Then throw on all the preparations for Christmas and parties and other events, and our lives get overwhelmed really quick.

Why do we have to be so busy? If we take a look at the stuff that fills our day, my guess would be we mainly have tasks that keep us busy and do not have any meaning to the real stuff that has to get done. I hear people say all the time, and I say it too, “I have to do ______.” Or “_______ needs to get done right now.” Do these questions sound familiar?

Our culture tells us we have to constantly be working and have things to do. Boredom is not an option. So, we add more and more to our already full schedule so no space is left blank and we can “feel” like we are accomplishing something. Do we really have to do everything that comes to mind, or be part of planning everything we want to be a participant?

Scheduling

Something we hear all the time is to make a to-do list and prioritize the most important tasks. Honestly, this is something I struggle to do every day. It scares me sometimes how much I try to cram in one day, so it gets difficult to write down because I start feeling like I’m going to forget something. But, I have begun to divide tasks out so I do not have to focus on everything every day.

Making a priority to-do list helps keep us on the right track and it shows what has to get done right away. It is important to complete the most important tasks first so the stress of them not getting done does not happen.

Empowering Others

It is so easy to get into the mindset that “I have to be the one to show how to do ______.” This is simply not the case. Often times, we can (and should) give people an idea of what needs to be done and talk about how it will get implemented and accomplished. We cannot do everything ourselves and it becomes more and more important to empower others to use their gifts and talents.

Each person has different gifts and talents. Scripture even teaches this. 1 Corinthians 12, Romans 12, Ephesians 4 are some great examples. We can also see an example of this in the Old Testament book of Exodus 31:6, “Moreover, I have appointed Oholiab son of Ahisamak, of the tribe of Dan, to help him. Also I have given ability to all the skilled workers to make everything I have commanded you:”

God has given us the gift of relationships through community so that we do not have to try to do everything be ourselves.

Asking “Why”

The reason, I think, we are too busy really comes down to one thing: our pride / our ego. This may seem harsh, but the reality is that it is easier to think “if I don’t do it, it won’t get done right.”

We are people of a culture, in America, that says “I have to prove myself worthy.” This scares people when full credit may not be given straight to them. Why do we have to have the credit for accomplishing something? I think it’s because we need to feel important. It also goes along with making sure other people know how smart we are or that we can actually accomplish the task or event at hand.

Asking ourselves the question, “WHY does it really have to be me to do _______?” can be the most important question we can ask ourselves. Putting this at the top of our priority list daily should help keep things into perspective so we remember we are not in this alone.

So, how many things can you let go of doing personally and empower others to take care of them? I invite you to pray, talk with close friends, and seek the Holy Spirit’s direction to see who He has empowered with the gifts to accomplish the task(s) at hand.

Gotta run and see what I can pass off to people who have the gifts and talents to take stuff off my plate so I don’t get stressed.

Peace.