Glynnis
Whitwer
"I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that
your
joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved
you."
John 15:11-12 (NIV)
Why is it so hard for me to stop working and just have
fun?
Other people have no trouble doing this. They look for any
reason
to drop the dust rags, ditch the dirty laundry, turn off the computer, and
head
to the park! Or the movies. Or a hike. Laughing all the
way.
I wish I were more like that.
Couldn't the personality tests I've taken throughout the years
just once show a different result? But alas, they always confirm what my
family
knows too well: I'm the responsible, serious one. The one who picks up cups
and
plates at someone else's party. And watches the clock at events to ensure
they're on schedule. I'm the one who wants to make sure we get all the work
done
first — before any fun begins.
Only the work is never done. When I finish one task, another
sits
waiting for me. There's always something more to do. As a result, I
experience
false guilt. All the time.
Every strength has a good and bad side. The good side of being
responsible is, well, I'm responsible. If I say I'm going to do something,
you
can be fairly sure it will get done.
The bad side of being responsible is feeling like the weight
of
the world rests on me. It makes a girl crazy worrying about assignments that
are
hers — and even those that aren't. It's hard to relax. My heart can get
resentful when others aren't carrying the weight of the world with me.
How
do they have so much time to not work?!
The reality? Not every assignment is mine to do. To assume
responsibility for more than is mine speaks of a lack of trust ... in God to
do
His job ... or in others to do theirs.
I'm pretty sure this all-work-no-play routine wasn't the life
Jesus intended me to live as one of His disciples. Carrying the weight of
burdens that aren't mine to carry. Choosing to interact with a computer
screen
rather than being with people.
The Bible values hard work, but Jesus' message is clear: Love
God.
Love people.
In John 15:11-12, Jesus said,
"I
have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be
complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved
you."
Jesus, with more to do in His three years of active ministry
than
I'll have in a lifetime, focused on His main assignment — to love people.
Sometimes that meant teaching them. Or serving them. Yet other times it
meant
just hanging out. Enjoying dinner with friends. Celebrating at a wedding
party.
Welcoming children. These fun times weren't empty of significance. Rather
they
were filled with value as Jesus showed love in a different
way.
We love God and others when we work. And when we have
fun.
This is a truth I need to apply to my life more often. My idea
of
loving others is often shown by serving them. But some people feel loved
when I
simply spend time with them. And for some, that time needs to be a little
less
task-oriented and a lot more laughter-filled.
That's my challenge. To be intentional about having fun. To
initiate getting together with others. To say yes when invited. To stretch
outside my comfort zone. And to relax about the details.
Work will always be there — but the people might not
be.
God has a pretty good handle on managing the world. I can
leave
that job to Him while I grab a loved one and make a lasting memory instead
of
checking something off my to-do list.
Heavenly Father, thank You for creating us to laugh. Thank You
for
putting in us the desire to enjoy life. Help me learn to relax and show love
to
others without worrying about the details. Forgive me for putting work
before
someone who needed my time and attention. In Jesus' Name,
Amen.
Have a Blessed Weekend,
Richard
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