I have to wonder, how often does our society (especially in the ministry world) mistake over-working as a noble characteristic? People will rave about others who work their fingers to the bone and call it dedication and committment. I know of people who will lose sleep, miss quality time with their family and friends, and will sacrifice their intimacy with God just to get more work done. And yet these people are glorified as exceptional leaders that have a work-ethic to aspire to.
Don’t get me wrong…I am amazed at that kind of committment, and absolutely love the people I know who have gone to those great lengths to get work done….but i just worry that this “admiration” for that characteristic may create a culture that admires over-working. It truly is incredible, but is it healthy? Is it worth it? Is it being a good steward of the time that God has given us? If we’re not careful, we’ll all be working over our hours, making ourselves sick, and setting ourselves up for spiritual failure because we simply want to be admired as a dedicated, hard worker. None of us want to be considered lazy or uncommitted…and so we get sucked into the lie that the more you work, the better person you are. Its so easy for that line to get fuzzy in ministry, but I think its still important that we keep our lives in balance.
I am all about being dedicated and committed. I am all about having passion that drives us to give it all we’ve got. I just think we need to be careful not to make the mistake of admiring people for having an out-of-balance work ethic.
What do you think?
Have YOU been sucked into that lie?
You are right on here, I don’t think we always really grasp quality over quantity and/or the true value of deep relationship, which can brutally kill “productivity.”
wow. Spiritual failure. wow. Yes…I have been sucked into this lie. Dang.
overworking at becoming a holy and living sacrifice? yes.
overworking because we think we must sacrifice? notsomuch.
xoxo