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PROGRAM D-8486
I saw something in Scripture that just made my day. Why? Because it said to me that it’s okay to say “That’s not my job.” If you constantly struggle with priorities and feel as though you are being pulled apart by demands and responsibilities, this could be great news for you, too. I’d like to share my thoughts with you.
One of the things I taught in my business seminars is that you should never say, “It’s not my job.” But would you believe that Jesus said that once? It’s in Luke 12:13-14, where a man asked Jesus to be a judge and Jesus responded by saying, “Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?” In essence, he said, “That’s not my job.”
I can imagine this man figured Jesus was the right person to settle this argument between him and his brother. As they say, “If you want something done, ask a busy person to do it.” But Jesus told him that he was not called to be, nor did he intend to try to become, an earthly judge in human affairs. I’m sure he was not unkind about it, but he certainly was direct.
In Mark 1:35-38 we see another example of a time when Jesus disappointed people. The whole town had gathered to hear him and be healed, and his disciples were most anxious for him to come and please this crowd. But Jesus made a decision to go elsewhere, undoubtedly disappointing the crowd. You see, Jesus spent much time in the presence of his Father—he knew his priorities very well.
Jesus did not avoid these people because he was tired or because he did not care. No, he often gave of himself tirelessly, going without food and rest in order to minister to the many who came to him for help. He was frequently exhausted—but he was never feverish, frazzled, or burned-out.
Why? Because he knew what he was called to do. He knew what God’s priorities were for him, and that’s what he did. He left other things undone—things which other people thought he should do—because he knew what was important and what wasn’t.
Burn-out doesn’t come from doing God’s will. Burn-out is a result of not appropriately separating the urgent from the important. This is one lesson I have to learn and re-learn.