What Am I Really Doing?

It is not news to anyone that I love technology. Its an extension of what I enjoy doingakin to the hunter's bow or painter's easel. But its also a tool to get work done. An easy 75% of my work centers around a computer. And the other 25% I spend in meetings I usually have my iPad with to take notes.

And, in this moment of weakness, I am wondering if I am missing something grand.

Pastor Wes (follow @revshortridge) often talks about knowing the difference between the urgent and the important. The important things have lasting meaning. The urgent is usually just temporary. And to be effective we must focus our energy on that which is important. I would argue even that in order to live a full life one must focus on that which is important more often than that which is urgent.

But while being constantly "plugged in" can be a really efficient way to get stuff done I find myself on the verge of doing too much. Every email, voicemail, text message containing a new project that will only take a second to address, well, they add up. The seconds are always minutes in disguise. Minutes that flash toward hours. And the time just goes away.

Urgent stuff done. Important stuff on the task list for tomorrow. 


And the worst part about this is that when the day ends (sometimes it is the next morning) you feel like you did a ton of work but are empty because you didn't accomplish what you set out to do. And you justify your actions and promise to do better tomorrow. Tomorrow.

And after pondering why this continues to happen I've come to the conclusion that its because of my insecurities that I allow the urgent to dictate my time. I'm so worried that its me that I'm going to fail and everything will begin to unravel. Allow me to confess how arrogant that feeling is. As if I'm the lynchpin holding this world together.

Its in the moments like these that I am glad that God is God and that God is gracious. He's the one holding it together and he also forgives my arrogance. He teaches me that He is important that most other stuff can be put on hold for another couple of minutes. He shows me what to value and what to invest my time in. How? By showing me what He values and how He values it.

I may always be busy. I may always have long days. But following what God says is important means that the feeling of doing stuff and not accomplishing anything will happen less and less.