Perhaps its just me, but it seems like modern society places an emphasis on doing too many things ..... and by doing all these things, we are somehow better because we were able to accomplish more. We are bombarded with things we need to do. But no matter how much stuff we do, we always have some stuff that doesn't get done. So, we give ourselves a guilt treatment and then we start the next day, doing the same things over and over again. Some days we get a lot done, so we give ourselves a pat on the back. But despite having all the latest gadgets, such as palmpilots, Franklin planners, Priority lists, etc., we somehow end up feeling stressed, overwhelmed, overworked and unhappy. Is that what our life has become? I, for one, believe that the emphasis on doing so many things is overrated. We've got to have balance in our lives and we can't get caught up in the misconception that "doing" a large number of tasks is equal to success or happiness. What I would like to propose is that in all of our doing that we consider what we are becoming... Of course, I am not suggesting that we stop doing things. We have to do things, but based on my experience, I have found myself many times trying to do "too many" things and thereby creating imbalance in my life. There is a time and place for everything... But one thing that helped me to realize this is what is commonly referred to as the "BeAttitudes" in the Bible.... Notice here that they are not referred to as the "DoAttitudes"... The "Be" is there for a reason. I will say it again, "In all of our doing, we must consider what we are becoming"... Is it possible to do good things but not become a better person from it?... Of course, it is.... for example, how many times do we go help someone, but we do it out of obligation and inside our heads, we are really wishing we weren't there... as opposed to having a sincere desire to help that person.
If our focus is on becoming a person who would help someone out of pure Christ-like love, then the "doing" is automatic... and how much you "got done" is irrelevant because your actions stemmed from the Christ-like person you have become... So, when Christ talks about "Blessed are the poor in Spirit, blessed are the meek, blessed are the merciful," He is talking about the type of people we can become, if we choose. Perhaps this can help to ease our minds as we go through the struggles of trying to get our long list of tasks completed.
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