This post is part of a 6 part series. To read the previous posts, click here.
Guideline 5: Do I really have time for this?
So, at times during the course of human events things come up that cause the blog post that was supposed to be written Friday to be written Sunday afternoon! This is one of those times. Now, on to the actual post…
This last guideline really wraps up the previous 4 guidelines into one, just with less detail. The other 4 should still be used, this one is just like the free bonus. ;) What do I mean, however, by do I really have time for this? Here’s what I mean:
- Will something else have to suffer to do this: calling, family, spiritual well-being, obedience, physical condition.
- Time for emergencies: if an emergency situation came up (death, injury, child sick), would it put me behind for days on my work?
- Previous commitments: In the most basic sense of the term, do I actually have the physical time to add something else to my day?
Now, I understand that at times there are necessary evils that may be required of you: Christmas programs, your child’s kindergarten graduation, VBS, camp, and so on. There’s no way around those most of the time. Certain times of the year are simply lent more towards busyness: Christmas, Easter, and summer. I get that. But during those times even, we have to make sure that we aren’t working ourselves to the bone where our bodies and minds can’t even keep up. That’s not God-glorifying.
I’ll share with you a secret that even I haven’t mastered: saying no. I hate saying no. And I know that you most likely have the same problem too. Sometimes, no is the best thing we can say. Enlist the help of your significant other, friends, or whomever you have to help you make sure you’re not going insane! Even Jesus sometimes just wanted to float on a boat out in the middle of a lake, away from everyone. He needed that time.
Don’t let events and things take up your entire life. Do everything you do to the glory of God. And that’s the way I see it.
Excellent points, sir.
Saying no is tough, especially to good things. I’ve had to do it a few times recently, and people were not happy with me.
What our pastor has told us to do is ask…
1. Is this something that we need to do?
2. Where does it fit in our mission?
3. Is this going to take our focus off of the most important things we are doing?
While this has freed me up to focus on our ‘main things’, it hasn’t made me many friends with people who come up with ‘great ideas for the children’s ministry’.
to someone who struggles with saying “no”; so…. um… hey evan… wanna help me move? jk.
sometimes there are people in life that will not take no for an answer. i can say this, without malice, because i am often one of them. then again… i myself, am terrible at saying no. i believe this to be the result of being an ocd person. a lot of the time, i think we all, myself included, can expect people to live up to our unachievable and unrealistic standards. we would all do well to learn to say and accept a “no.”
great series evan:)