The Dangerous Philosophy of Getting Things Done
Call me crazy, but this idea that having a lot of things to do is not as cool as it makes itself out to be. And it’s not really healthy for you either. But it’s ridiculous how powerfully strong it pulls at us. We almost can’t help it.
“It’s much easier to spend a lot of time making your microphone louder than it is working on making your message more compelling…”
~ Seth Godin
As a husband and father I have many responsibilities. But I’m a neat freak and I often get stuck cleaning the house, making sure everything is aesthetically in order. This is when I’m not zealously seeking to provide for the material needs of my family. Both keep my to-do list full. And both keep me from being present to my family.
At church we often focus solely on externals, building new buildings, remodeling, painting, expanding… busy work. Not that it’s not important to keep the building in order, but as you well know the Church is not the building, but the people. We the people sure as heck need a building to fill, but without us there is no need for a building.
At work I sometimes lose focus and find myself endlessly tweaking away at the functionality and appearance of my websites only to neglect producing fresh, new content for my loyal subscribers.
When Doing Prevents You from Being
We often see our busyness as a sign of success, as a sign that we’re doing something right, that we are getting things done. But sometimes getting things done prevents us from being who we should be. Sometimes doing prevents us from being.
How easily we become just like the Pharisee who was so focused on the external observance of the Mosaic Law that he neglects to live a life of love of God and neighbor instead of entering into relationship with the God who is love.
Doing Christianity is not the same thing as being a Christian. For the former requires only the external, superficial, “look at me” kind of person focused completely on themselves and how good they are. Like the Pharisee who spent his time in prayer praising himself and his holiness. Whereas the latter is not so concerned with doing as being. He is a Christian whose deep interior life and intimate relationship with God bears fruit in the way he lives his life. So it’s not that he doesn’t “do”, but his doing is only a byproduct of his “being”.
Not an Invitation to Laziness
Being awesome, remarkable, fantastic at what you do does not necessarily mean you are failing at doing. After all, being does require some doing, but with a purpose.
Question: In what areas of your life are you “doing” more than “being”? How can you become better at “being” than you are at “doing”?