In today’s Gospel reading from John 6, we read about Jesus walking on the water. When the disciples see Jesus walking on the water, He says to them, “It is I. Do not be afraid.” In our first reading from Acts 6, we read about some of the challenges of a rapidly growing Church.
As leaders, the Twelve had to wear a lot of hats in those early days. And today we see one of their first acts of delegation. They called for the brothers to select “seven reputable men, filled with the Spirit and wisdom” to help with the daily distribution of food and goods to the needy. The Apostles knew that they needed to engage in a different job for the Kingdom; that of “prayer and the ministry of the word.”
Have there ever been times where you have bitten off too much? This is very dangerous, even in service to the Lord. Perhaps ESPECIALLY in service to the Lord. When we take on too much, we risk burning out. Then our attitudes sour and our mission can become self-defeating. Yes, the needs are great. But there is only so much that each one can do. Like the Apostles, we need to be sure that we are doing the most important thing for the Kingdom. If it is God’s will, someone will come forward to take care of the other things.
Father, help us to manage our time and tasks so that we can be most effective for the Kingdom. Teach us to delegate, or to say no when necessary. Amen.
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