A couple of night’s ago, I got to sit down with my good friend, Aaron, over a caffeinated-choco-coconut-coffee-concoction, that I’ll probably never order again. Anyway, in the midst of our conversation, Aaron recalled an analogy that he had shared with me once before and I will never forget it.
He said that sometimes in life we spread ourselves so thin that we begin losing our impact and influence on the world around us. His analogy was that it’s like spreading butter on a piece of bread — When you first get that glob of butter on there, the substance and flavor is concentrated and noticeable, but once you start spreading it out, the application gets thinner and thinner. Before long, you could actually spread the butter so thin that you don’t even taste it anymore.
What a powerful word picture! Are you spread out so much that you’re no longer making an impact on your environment? Are you maxed to the point that your family gets the least of you and everyone else gets the most of you? Are the daily demands so high that you’re unable to do anything of real import for the Kingdom?
I know that life is busy, but do we realize that sometimes doing more is less and doing less is more? Growing up, my mom used to tell me that I was good at burning a candle on both ends. The problem with this is that, eventually, you burn out. And when you’re burnt out, you’re of no effect.
I want to encourage you today to make the time – budget the time – for taking care of the most important things in your life – your family, your faith, your friends, and even yourself. Don’t let a busy schedule justify a crumbling marriage, or a troublesome relationship with your child. Don’t succumb to compromising your relationships, your friendships, and your influence, just because “you’ve got so much to do.”
Make the time, focus your time, focus your life, doing the things that really matter, and forget about the things that don’t. Then, and only then, will your life really matter. Then, and only then, will you truly make an impact on those around you.