From Zero to Chaos

I have come to a conclusion about life. Some people walk into a room and bring peace. Other people walk into a room and suddenly everybody has a job.

You know what I mean.

Five minutes ago, everyone was perfectly content. Somebody was drinking coffee. Someone else was watching TV. A couple of people were having a conversation. Nobody was upset. Nobody was concerned.

Then that person enters the room.

"Why is this sitting here?"

"Did anybody call about that?"

"We really need to get this done."

"While we're at it, we should probably..."

And just like that, the peaceful Saturday afternoon has turned into an episode of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.

Apparently we're remodeling the basement now.

Not Everything Is an Emergency

I think one of the greatest lessons we can learn in life is this: Just because something needs to be done doesn't mean it needs to be done right now.

That's a hard concept for some people.

There are people who can see a crooked picture hanging on the wall and think, "I'll straighten that later." Then there are people who see the same picture and suddenly we're locating the level, looking for a tape measure, filling the old nail hole, touching up the paint and discussing whether that entire wall should be repainted.

It was a picture.

It was crooked.

We were going to survive.

Some things can wait.

You Can Be Productive Without Making Everyone Else Nervous

I admire productive people. I really do. There's nothing wrong with being a go-getter. There's nothing wrong with having projects, making lists, accomplishing things and staying busy.

But there's a difference between being productive and creating an atmosphere where everyone feels like they should be doing something. Sometimes one person's constant motion changes the atmosphere of an entire family, workplace, church or group of friends.

They may not even realize they're doing it.

They're moving.

They're talking.

They're organizing.

They're planning.

They're fixing.

They're reminding.

They're starting three new projects while finishing two others. Meanwhile, everyone else is thinking:

"Are we allowed to sit down?"

Here's something worth considering: Your personal sense of urgency doesn't automatically have to become everyone else's sense of urgency. That's an important lesson.

Chaos Is Contagious

Have you ever been completely relaxed until someone else started stressing? Suddenly you're stressed too, and you don't even know why.

"WE HAVE TO GET THIS DONE!"

Do we?

"YES!"

Why?

"BECAUSE IT NEEDS TO GET DONE!"

Okay...but does it need to get done at 2:17 this afternoon? Sometimes we manufacture deadlines that don't actually exist. And when we do that repeatedly, everyone around us begins living with our anxiety. Proverbs 14:30 says: "A heart at peace gives life to the body."

I love that. Peace is good for us. And peace is good for the people around us.

Jesus Never Seemed Frantic

One thing that strikes me when I read the Gospels is how busy Jesus was without seeming frantic. Think about His schedule.

Crowds followed Him.

People wanted to be healed.

People wanted Him to teach.

The disciples needed attention.

Religious leaders were constantly challenging Him.

There was always somewhere else He could go and someone else He could help.

Yet Jesus still stopped.

He withdrew.

He prayed.

He rested.

At one point Jesus actually told His disciples: “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest." — Mark 6:31

Imagine that. There were still people who needed help, and Jesus essentially said: We're taking a break.

Apparently the Kingdom of God could survive an afternoon without everyone running around like their hair was on fire. Maybe ours can too.

Read the Room

Sometimes we need to develop the ability to read the room. If your family is sitting around laughing together, maybe that's more important than cleaning the garage.

If your spouse finally sat down after a long day, maybe that's not the perfect moment to announce your exciting new plan to reorganize the basement.

If your coworkers are finally catching their breath after a difficult week, maybe your new idea doesn't have to become an emergency project at 3:47 Friday afternoon.

And if everyone around you was relaxed until you walked into the room...

Well...There might be something worth thinking about there.

"It Can Wait" Is a Complete Sentence

Somewhere along the way, many of us began believing that leaving something unfinished means we're lazy.

It doesn't.

Sometimes it means we have perspective.

The dishes can wait.

The email can wait.

The garage can wait.

The leaves can wait.

The project can wait.

That text probably doesn't require an immediate response. And whatever Amazon package is arriving tomorrow will somehow find its way to your front porch whether you track it seventeen more times or not.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 says: "To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven."

There's a time to work.

There's a time to hustle.

There's a time to get things done.

But there's also a time to sit on the porch.

There's a time to drink the coffee.

There's a time to watch the movie.

There's a time to laugh with your kids.

There's a time to talk with your spouse.

There's a time to hang out with friends.

There's a time to do absolutely nothing productive and not feel guilty about it.

The List Will Still Be There Tomorrow

Here's the bad news: You will never finish everything. The moment you finish the list, you'll think of something else to put on it. That's life.

So maybe success isn't getting everything done. Maybe success is learning what needs to be done now, what can wait until tomorrow and what isn't worth worrying about in the first place. And maybe we should occasionally ask ourselves:

What atmosphere do I create when I enter a room?

Do people relax around me?

Or does everyone suddenly feel like they need to grab a broom?

Being productive is good. Being responsible is good. Getting things accomplished is good. But so is peace and rest. So is enjoying the people God has put in your life. Sometimes you need to tackle the project. Sometimes you need to finish the list. And sometimes you need to look at whatever supposedly needs to be done, pour another cup of coffee, sit back down and say:

"It'll still be there tomorrow."

And you know what?

It probably will be.