I am not naturally very organized and will l procrastinate unless I force myself to be proactive and plan ahead. I am easily distracted by the things I want to do and put off the things I need to do. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, then I hope this blog will give you insight into those of us with that mindset. I had a fantastic work role model in my father, Frank Goslen. He was an insurance adjuster for a private company called Southeaster Adjustment Company. When he was at work, he was all business and he expected his co-workers to do the same. He ended up owning two branches of the firm and expected his employees to work as hard as he did. I know this personally because when I was in high school, he hired me as the part-time Maintenance Engineer (Fancy title for janitor). Every day after school, I came into his office to clean, organize, mail, file and anything no one else wanted to do. My Dad cut me no slack and the first few days I worked at the office, I realized that I had better: (1) Be on time and (2) get my work done (3) making sure I put quality into my work. There was no room for errors and he would get on my case whenever things weren’t done according to those three standards. So if I was going to get a paycheck, I was going to earn it.
That mindset has spilled over into my own personal work habits. I arrive early to work so I can accomplish as much as possible in the early hours before anyone else calls or gives me work to do. I also come to work EVERY day with my list. This list is a compilation of everything I need to get done, plus quite a few things I hope to get done. If the list is checked off by the end of the day, I go home with peace of mind feeling I have been "successful". Even now, my list is sitting right beside me on my desk, always a present reminder to stay on task.
HOWEVER, God usually has a different agenda for us list people. We need to be careful or we get so fixed on completing the listed tasks that we miss the real ministry opportunities. People are on God's agenda, not mundane work topics. I don't find any Biblical reference to this, I just personally think God enjoys disrupting my agenda. He wants to see if I am willing to follow Him and enter a relationship with someone or if I am so busy doing "church things" that I won't have time for people.
It kind of reminds me of the parable Jesus told about the busy church workers. You probably know it better as the parable of the Good Samaritan. A Priest and a Levite had the opportunity to help this fellow in need, but they were too busy with religious stuff to get involved. I'm sure they justified looking the other way just like I justify looking the other way. I'm sure they were on their way to an important meeting, training session or time of teaching. Helping this man in need certainly would have made them unclean in regards to the Law and cost them invaluable time and energy.
Am I the Priest or the Levite? Am I so caught up in my own list, things to do, important tasks to help someone in need? If someone calls me while I am rushing to get things done, will I stop and give them my full attention or do I try to multitask? When I see someone who appears to need a friend, do I stop or am I busy rushing off to the next important assignment? I look at the example of Jesus and He was always being interrupted by needy people. His disciples even tried to shield Him from having to deal with the nuisance of little children. Yet, Jesus was always approachable and willing to let god direct His agenda.
What about you? Can you put the list aside and allow God to control your day today? Maybe, just maybe, we will have the opportunity to impact eternity and give someone a sip from God well of life-giving water.
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