S06E026, Too Much Effort, Andy B 2 Minute Video

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In this Andy B two-minute video, the focus is on balance—putting the right amount of effort into all areas of life, even the less glamorous ones, like septic tanks. While it’s important to work hard and give our best, especially as Christians, overworking can create false expectations and drain us of energy for our families, communities, and personal well-being.

True stewardship isn’t just about working hard; it’s about working wisely. Pause, reflect, and make sure your efforts align with God’s purpose for your life.

Just a thought...

Andy B

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So another Andy B two minute video and I'm thinking about how much effort we put into stuff, things we do, our jobs, our homes, our cars. How much effort do we put into the things that we care for, what it is that we have? Those gifts, those blessings, those amazing things in our lives. How much effort do we put in those things that aren't so exciting?

Perhaps a septic tank. It's not a very pretty thought, but when we go to the toilet, it's got to go somewhere. Do we think, oh, well, it doesn't really matter, it'll just sort itself, or do we actually take care of even those things underground that we don't see, that are covered, that don't smell nice, that we don't want to even consider or look at?

Do we care for those too? I was thinking about how much effort is too much. When is the effort we put in too much? Now, when it comes to our jobs, it's very easy. If you're in a paid job, someone's going to pay you your wages. All you have to do basically is to turn up on time, do the job, or at least look like you're doing the job.

You get paid, you go home at the end of the day. Well, that's kind of okay, isn't it? We can understand that. But as a Christian, we're called to go the extra mile. So what does that look like? Does that mean we do an extra eight hours free a day? Does that mean we work really hard and skip our breaks? Well, I don't think we should.

I don't think that's a very good idea at all. Actually, it makes us very inefficient when we start to miss out on breaks. What about those free hours of an evening? Well, I'm not sure that's even right, to be honest. Because if we're not careful, our job then consumes everything we are. Your job, if it's paid, I'm sure, would very happily take away more of your free time.

Here's why you shouldn't do that. You're taking it away from somebody else, and you're creating a false image. I watched a video of somebody one day, and they thought, Do you know I'm working 70 hours a week, I get paid for 35. Why am I doubling my hours for free? And one day they thought, I'm going to stop doing free hours, because it was not good for their mental health.

They weren't doing very well in life. They were then hauled up in front of HR who said, You're underperforming, to which they said, No, I'm now performing. I was actually over performing before. If we're not careful, us working harder than we should, creates an imbalance for the people around us. Makes them look not very competent, actually, if we're not careful.

We should give our best in our jobs. As Christians, we should work as though Jesus is watching us, because he is. And he's the employer you want to really be concerned about, because he actually is watching what we're doing. But we also shouldn't be doing so many hours that we're so tired when we come home, we ignore our family, we can't contribute to the community around us, or our local church or charity that we want to volunteer for.

Just be careful to get the right balance, and if you're not sure, take a pause and have a think. Just a thought.