Typically (or stereo-typically) men and women view the world and perform tasks very differently. Men tend to complete one task at a time from beginning to end, while women tend to do multiple tasks at once. My wife and I fit into those stereotypes perfectly. If I start something, the house could burn down around me and I might not notice. Not until I finish what I started. On the other hand, just tonight my wife was in the process of opening the door to let the dog in and thought of something else to do. She left the door partway open to go do something in the kitchen, then came back to the still partly-open door and let the somewhat bewildered dog in.
I call it distraction. She calls it multi-tasking. Who's right?
It's a busy world out there.
None of us are without plenty to do. How we go about doing (or at least trying to do) everything we have on our plates varies according to a plethora of factors. Not only do psychological factors come in to play, but physiological as well. Some studies have shown that women have more connections between the two halves of their brains than men do. They are actually hard-wired to multi-task more efficiently. For anyone who has had to be home with one or more small children for any amount of time while trying to accomplish anything, the purpose of this God-given gift is, excuse the pun, a no-brainer. We are fearfully and wonderfully made for the purposes God has for us.
If mothers were not thusly made, our children would starve to death or wander off while us men checked off our lists of things to do, oblivious to the needy little darlings at our feet. One thing at a time, nice and steady, no distractions. That's my way, and I know I am not alone. Kids are hungry? What kids? They're number 8 on my list, and I'm working on number 4. The overflowing garbage? Number 12. And the dog? He doesn't even make the front page.
Men and women are not the only ones with different world views.
Yes, I am poking a little fun at both my wife and myself. A serious side of this does exist, however. Men and women view and interact with the world differently, no doubt. But another, and more profound divide exists between two other groups of people. Those who live their lives for God, and those who do not.
Man or woman, the individual who lives for God has to keep one goal clearly in focus--the will of God. What He wants from us. What He desires us to do. What His priorities are. To those who live for the world, this makes no sense at all. The world is out there. They can see it, touch it, know it. God, if they acknowledge Him at all, is a mystery, an enigma. They are focused on what they know. God is, at best, a distraction.
Christians struggle too.
For the laser-focused, we tend to get hung up on what is right in front of us. We can easily miss the subtle leading of God trying to draw us closer to Him and His plan as we doggedly pursue the end we seek. For the multi-taskers, distraction is everywhere. The world calls and beckons, drowning out the voice of the One who matters.
Focused to a fault or task-saturated, we all have our struggles.
As with all things, balance is key. The Bible says we are in the world, but not of the world. In another place, we are identified as aliens in a foreign land. Still somewhere else, God tells us we can serve the world, or serve Him. In other words, this world is where we are, but it is not what we are supposed to be about. There is work here that we are called to do, but it is the work of God and His kingdom, not this world of distractions.
How do you do it?
Do you go down your check-list one item at a time, or do everything at once? How does that affect your relationship with God? If you don't know, think about it. You might find something useful there.
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