Friday, September 21, 2012

Stay Focused On Your Tasks

When Peter saw him, he asked, “Lord, what about him?”

Jesus answered, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me.”

-- John 21:12-22

Isn’t that just like us? We’re so concerned about what someone else might be doing, or not doing, that we can’t focus on our own tasks.

Jesus was right. What difference should it make to us? We’re to do what we’re called to do and let everybody else do what they’re called to do. It shouldn’t make us do any less or do what we’re called to do with any less enthusiasm and hard work. But it does, doesn’t it?

One person I know is always asking about everybody else. She wants to know what everybody else is doing. She wants to get involved in the tasks of everyone around her. She drives me crazy. Not with her questions but with the fact that she’s so busy minding everybody else’s tasks that she can’t do her own. Sound familiar?

I understand that we don’t want to do more work that everybody else. And we want to make sure everybody else is doing what they’re supposed to be doing. But, really, why should it matter to us? We’re not judge and jury. We’re to do what we’re supposed to do and let God worry about the rest.

We don’t see it that way. It’s that toddler mentality where we want to tattle on the slackers. And we want to use someone else as an excuse to not clean up our own mess. Yet, whether they do their tasks or not doesn’t excuse us from doing our own.

Do you have any co-workers like that? They always seem to know all the gossip. They can tell you the status of everyone else’s projects, sales figures, and other information. And they rarely seem to get anything done. They’re too busy minding everybody else’s business.

And then there’s the neighbor who always seems to know the news, otherwise known as gossip. Just don’t expect her to show up with a casserole when somebody dies. And don’t expect her to volunteer to help someone in need. She doesn’t have time. Seems to me that her priorities are a little misplaced.

One of the most frustrating things I deal with are the folks who won’t do what they say they’ll do. It would be so much better if they would just say no to begin with. But they want to be included. They want to be a part of the group. They want to know what everybody else is doing. They just don’t want to do any of it themselves.

We all could use this reminder from Jesus and stay focused on our own tasks. We’re called to do what God has called us to do. Let Him worry about what everybody else is doing while we get our own jobs done.