As I write this, I should really be doing my homework. I have a lot to read for my thesis, I need to grade some papers, and start on a journal review. Today, I woke up, graded papers, unpacked a little bit, went to the doctor, worked on my thesis, played flag football, went shopping after doing some reading, and now I am here. Exhausted? Nah, not me. Apparently I am able to multitask really well, but I really do not like it. It is just that someone has to pay my bills, someone has to do my homework, and someone has to buy my food, and that someone is… surprise, surprise, me. The football part, I can’t be all work and no play =)
The question that the Doctor asked me today was, “are you a human being or a human doing?” That sort of struck me, because I never really thought of what I was doing was bad. Whatever you believe, I think that having this boundary can be beneficial because otherwise you burn out. So when we think about being a human being rather than a human doing, there are a few things to consider.
Are we so busy with the tasks in our lives that we are overlooking those around us? I ask this because I think about how so many people are workaholics and they forget about their families in the process. Much of my thoughts are how parents often times miss out on their kids lives because they are in the office so much. In the end, the children are hurt because they feel that the parents prioritized work over them. Or the wife that would much rather have a husband to help them through life rather than a few extra dollars or nice “things” in life.
The other detail I want to add is that oftentimes ministry can be done and God can be forgotten in the busy-ness. Ultimately, the work of the church needs to be done and the church needs people to do it and often times will use the same people to do it. That is why we must be careful even when doing ministry to remember why we are doing it, and not overwhelm ourselves with everything going on and burn out. Oftentimes burn out can open yourself up to spiritual and psychological attacks.
Many of you are probably like me, and feel like there is so much that needs to get done and not enough time to do it. It can be frustrating, but there is something that I think about. If I am so busy with my life, will I miss out on an opportunity to bless someone else? My hope is that you would say that you would be able to see those opportunities as they come.
The story that I often think about in the Bible is the story of Mary and Martha in Luke 10:38-42. When Mary sat at Jesus’ feet and listened to him, Martha became irritated with her sister and asked Jesus to get Mary to help her out.
“Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things,” Jesus said “but one thing is necessary. Mary has made the right choice, and it will not be taken away from her.”
This reminds me that the people in life are often times more important than the things that we do. Yes, we do things that matter, but if we impact no one in the process, what good are our lives? This is why many people die lonely, because they serve their own interests their entire life forget everyone along the way.
So before you leave, think about this… is what makes you who you are or is it what you do? If you lost all of your titles, all of your degrees, or all of your roles, would that change your identity? This is the difference between a human being and a human doing. My hope is that you would be a human being, and not allow the things in your life to dictate who you are. Speaking of doing, I should probably get back to homework!
