A few months ago, I was listening to a time management person talking on the radio. She was sharing various hints to cut corners and save time where we can. "And for another thing," she said, "I never fold underwear; it's just a waste of time." She explained that our underwear is rarely seen (I might amend, should not be seen), and even if it were, who could tell whether or not it had been neatly folded in a drawer? Folding underwear is just one of those activities that consumes our time without producing measurable results. We should spend our valuable and precious time doing those things that matter most.
So, I don't fold my underwear anymore. I wish that I could say that in all my life I have lived by the same motto, but I have fallen far short. The Scripture reminds us that our life is short and fleeting -- that we should make the most out of the few moments that we have. In the words of the Psalms..
As a United Methodist pastor, I stand in a long line of people who have all been given John Wesley's terribly clear instructions to clergy:“Let me know my end, Lord.How many days do I have left?I want to know how brief my time is.”
You’ve made my days so short;
my lifetime is like nothing in your eyes.
Yes, a human life is nothing but a puff of air!Psalm 39:4-5
Many times we keep doing those unimportant things, not because of a conscious, intentional decision, but because we have always done them. The phone rings while we are eating dinner with family or friends, and we cannot help ourselves. We answer the call, or at least look to see who is calling.Be diligent. Never be unemployed for a moment; never be trifingly employed. Never trifle away time; never spend any more time at any place than is strictly necessary.--John Wesley
Instead, our mission, our true call, is to "seek first the kingdom of God." (Matthew 6:33). Our time and effort should be spent so that we "make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world." (That's the mission of the United Methodist Church, by the way : www.umc.org.) Anything else should be questioned and set aside if deemed non-essential to our mission in life.
The problem is that we are so used to doing certain things in certain ways that we no longer know why we do them. It's just what we do. It's tradition. It's written in stone. If you don't believe me, then try to avoid doing some of those expected "time wasters" and see the response -- sometimes from yourself, but also from others.
Just a couple weeks ago, I had someone over at the house who was offering to help straighten and organize. Since we are still recovering from our recent move, I gladly accepted help. "Would you mind folding that basket of clothes?" I asked. "Oh, but, when you see my boxers, just set them to the side in a pile. I don't fold my underwear."
A look of shock and disbelief crossed the face of my kindly helper. After a few minutes, I looked over to see a pile of neatly folded underwear. "I'm sorry. I just can't pile them up. I'm just not used to leaving things in a mess," she said meekly.
As we seek to be faithful to God's mission, many people will try to distract us with the "tyranny of the urgent" (a phrase I remember from Stephen Covey's Seven Habits of Highly Effective People). Just because something feels pressing, does not mean that it is important. It is difficult for people to deal with change in any form, even if that change is necessary.
Again, I do not always live up to the Wesleyan directive, but thanks to God's grace, I am still a work in progress. With God's help, we can focus more of each day doing those things that reflect who Christ is in our lives.
And at least for now...I won't be folding any underwear.
Grace and Peace,
