Leaving People Who Need You in the Boat

On Friday (January 20), we talked about how guilty some of us feel when we try to “steal” a few minutes with God—guilty that we are disappointing family, friends and co-workers who have come to expect our undivided attention. This is especially true when we think we are neglecting someone who needs us. And you know as well as I do, as a parent, a spouse, an employee, a boss, and whatever other roles you play, someone ALWAYS thinks they need you. If you just run from one need to another, you will never, ever find time to spend alone with God.

Does it help to realize that Peter left his friends with work on their hands when he jumped out of the boat in John 21? Remember the group had just made a large catch when Peter left his pals (and possibly his brother) in the boat and hurried to shore to meet with Christ. He left them with work that he was well qualified to do. In fact, he may have been the most qualified in the group to do it since he was probably the most experienced. And actually, his friends were only out fishing because Peter had suggested fishing in the first place. Now they were facing a crisis, the nets were at the bursting point, and he just left them to drag the nets in to shore as best they could.

Was Peter wrong to do this? Was he too impetuous? I mean, couldn’t he have just met with Christ 15 minutes later? Who knows. Maybe. And yet 15 minutes later I’m sure there would have been another task with which his friends could have used his help—sorting and cleaning the fish, stowing the nets, swabbing the deck, transporting the fish to wherever they had to go, etc., etc.

And you know it is the same for you and me. Your day is a succession of tasks, interruptions and people who need you. At some point you need to stop and walk away and not feel guilty about it. Spend a little time on shore with Christ--talking to Him and listening to what He has to say--and then go back to the people who think they need you. They will still be there and now you will be better equipped to serve them.

Habit for January: How are you doing on our new habits for 2006? Remember to pray for two minutes before getting out of bed each morning and before you drift off to sleep each night. And read the New Testament for five minutes today--maybe during your commute, your exercise routine or before you turn on the TV tonight. For more info, see the January 3 post.