Tuesday Greetings Wholetonians,
I don’t think I have ever had so many things on my plate in my life! I bet a lot of you are experiencing the same thing this month… busy, busy, busy! As I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, I am currently working on some AMAZING new projects, and I will be making an announcement in March that will definitely blow you away! The most important thing to remember, when you find yourself in a season where you are burning the “midnight oil,” know that you are ONLY doing what you are called to do; no more, no less. Which brings us to this weeks timely musing, “The Extra “O.”
Have you ever said "yes" to someone, when you should have said, "no"? Have you ever committed to something you knew you didn’t have time for, and although you kept your commitment, found yourself both frustrated and exhausted? If you answered yes to either, or both of these examples, congratulations, you are human!
The truth is, most of us have taken on tasks that although good, and perhaps even, noble… weren’t ours to tackle. There is a popular saying in Christian circles, “God is good, all the time, and all the time, God is good.” While there is no question that God is good, there is likewise no question that not all good things are God.
Let me explain…
You see, just because something is good doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s God’s will for you to do! There is one little difference between God, and good…the extra “O.” When you commit to something that’s good, but not God’s will for you, this is what the extra “O” looks like...
“Oh no. Why did I say yes?” “Oh man, I don’t have time for this,” “Oh for the love of Pete, is that due today?”
Yes…it’s that extra, “O” or…”Oh,” that gets us every time!
So here is the million dollar question…what motivates us to repeat this fruitless activity…constantly committing to things we are not called to do?
In Bob Mumford’s groundbreaking book, “Agape Road,” Mumford isolates the “seven giants of failure” that keep people from discerning the difference between that which is merely, good, vs that which is truly God. The “giant” responsible for the incessant need to over commit and do things for the sake of appearance is called the “look good” giant. If you find yourself constantly doing things in order to look good in the eyes of others, you may be dealing with this insatiable giant.
"Man pleasing" is always an exercise in futility as man is a very difficult taskmaster. We were created to be, “God pleasers,” which is much easier than one would imagine! You see, God is already pleased with you, and loves you as you are. Man, on the other hand, is typically, “task oriented,” and often sees others as a utility to “perform,” for them, and as long as you do something that helps them with their vision, you remain useful to them. Thus, in order to be liked, accepted, or compensated, you continue to do things you are not organically called to do, instead, doing good things merely to oblige another.
Let me offer a quick and efficient way to end this tiresome, man-pleasing compulsion…rediscover the most powerful, and liberating word in your vocabulary… NO! Sometimes you need to just say, no. Your freedom may just be, one syllable away! If you want to do good, first, make sure it is God! Or, you will remain on the hamster wheel of performance that comes from the extra, “O.”
Until next week...
Be Whole,
Michael S. Tyrrell
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