Sometimes it can be difficult to say, “No” to a request from someone for us to be involved in something they need help with, especially if it is something we want to do, but we already have a full schedule. We can quickly become over-committed. Today’s Bible Journaling verse tells us, “Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No;’ anything more than this comes from evil.” (Matthew 5:37 ESV)
One example of over-commitment is found in Exodus 18. Moses was tasked with being the judge over the disagreements that would come up between the people of Israel. It was so bad that he ended up judging everything from petty squabbles to bonafide, serious cases that needed a judge’s decision, and he would be judging these cases all day long. It was enough of a problem that his father-in-law, Jethro, noticed and decided to say something to Moses. Jethro told Moses that he needed to appoint others to help him in judging the lesser cases so that the more important cases could be judged by Moses. Jethro noticed that Moses was becoming worn out by all the responsibility upon him. The same thing can happen to us. So, how do we deal with overcommitment?
When someone asks us to do something for the church, we may feel obligated to participate in the extra work, but it may not be something we need to be doing. Possibly, the person asking us to take on this task knows they can trust us to get it done correctly. However, it could be that someone in the congregation is supposed to assume that position or work because God is calling them to it. If we say “yes” then the person who is supposed to accept that position would not benefit from what God has for them. Maybe He wants them to begin a new ministry that would benefit the church and launch that person on a new endeavor.
We also need to prioritize our “to do” lists. Those things that are the most important to us should be put at the top of the list. Those things that are not a necessity can be either taken off the list or delegated to someone else. When someone comes to us with a request, we should weigh it against what we already engaged in, and if it isn’t something that we need to be doing, we need to tell that person, “No.”
When we don’t prioritize our commitments, it can lead to “burn out.” My first husband and I ran a small Christian Television station for three years. We were on the air from 4:00 – 11:00 PM, but all the other work that needed to be done was taken care of by us and seven volunteers from 9:00 AM until we signed on. It was a brand-new ministry in a rural area, and to say we were struggling is an understatement. Looking back at that time, several things were done by others before we came on board, which were not done correctly, and we tried to fix the problems. We practically worked ourselves into the ground to try and get this station to be strong enough to continue. We eventually succumbed to “burn out,” and shortly after we left, the station went under. It breaks my heart because we were beginning to see some successes. Unfortunately, it left a bad impression on Christian television, and Christians in general, in that area. We didn’t follow Jesus’ example when He would go off by Himself to pray and to rest from doing ministry work. We worked the whole first year without any days off, and it took a toll on us.
We need to be sure that we are following what God wants us to do. When someone asks us to be part of something, we need to tell them we will sincerely pray about it and get back to them, then do just that. Pray. Ask God, “Do you want me involved in this? Will I be overextended in this priority?” Then follow the clear direction you receive from Him and let the person know whether your answer is “Yes” or “No.”
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