Give it Away Give it Away Give it Away Give it Away Now

The title of today's blog entry is provided courtesy of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. I'm sure Anthony Kiedis and the boys did not have my blog entry in mind when they penned the words to this popular tune back in 1991, but it applies nonetheless.

If you're like me, you have a tough time giving your job (trade, skills, expertise) away to others. Some call this delegating. Others call this empowering others. And, as much as like to complain about how busy I am, I tend to be my own worst enemy when it comes to breaking free of the tasks and minutia that make up any given work day.

Part of it has to do with wanting to make sure it's done the right way. Another part of it has to do with trust - "Can I trust another person to complete this task?" A third part is just plain laziness - that I am reluctant to spend the time and energy to invest in educating and training someone else to do something I am quite capable of doing myself. And, when all of these rationalizations come together, it creates the "perfect storm" for me to continue robbing myself of becoming more focused in my work, and robbing others of the opportunity of volunteering their time and gifts.

What makes this even more difficult is acknowledging the fact that God never intended for us to be self-sufficient beings. Firstly, we are to rely on Him. Secondly, he equips us to do His work. And, thirdly, He surrounds us with (or provides us) others who can help us complete myriad tasks more efficiently.

This is precisely why God referred to the church as a body. A body has many parts that work together to keep everything functioning optimally. A broken hand, bruised shin, jammed toe, or diseased organ causes the entire body to suffer. And, when one part of the body is hurting and lagging behind, the rest of the body works even harder to supplement the effort!

That's why all of us need to "give it away" - so we do not lag behind or become "diseased" and overburdened in our efforts. The extra time and the clearer focus will benefit others, it'll benefit your family, and it'll benefit your workplace. But, most of all, it'll benefit YOU!