Who Put You in Charge of Everybody?
Somewhere along the way, being dependable turned into being on call.
The phone rings, and somebody needs advice. A message comes through, and somebody needs a favor. Before the question even gets asked, you’re already figuring out how to make it happen.
But let somebody ask what YOU want, and suddenly you need a minute.
Now, how did that happen?
How did a person with ideas, interests, and plans become the one who keeps putting them off until everybody else is settled?
And when exactly is everybody going to be settled?
There will always be another situation. Another opinion. Another grown person making a decision you wish they wouldn’t make. If enjoying life depends on getting all of that straight first, the calendar will keep turning while your plans sit untouched.
I believe in helping people. That’s part of what I do. But helping someone doesn’t mean becoming responsible for how they choose to live.
Even Jesus declined requests. In Mark 1:35–38, people were looking for Him, and He chose to move on to other towns to preach. He knew why He had come. Being needed in one place did not erase His purpose elsewhere.
That gives us something to think about.
A request deserves consideration. It doesn’t automatically require a yes. Sometimes the honest answer is, “I can’t do that today.” Sometimes someone needs the opportunity to figure something out without you stepping in first.
And sometimes you need to get dressed and go enjoy the afternoon you planned.
Take the class. Have lunch with your husband without spending the meal solving somebody else’s disagreement. Work on that business idea. Find out what you enjoy now—because what you liked ten years ago might have changed.
There is room to love people and have a life you’re excited to wake up to.
Here’s a question to sit with: What have you been postponing that nobody actually asked you to give up?
That answer may tell you where to begin.
— Shana Banks, CCT
Your New Beginnings GO
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