“And when they saw him, they were amazed: and his mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing. And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business? And they understood not the saying which he spake unto them.”–Luke 2:48–50
President U. S. Grant was noted for having a dry wit and sense of humor. According to an old story, a Scotsman came to the White House to demonstrate the game of golf. Placing the ball on a tee he took a huge swing. Missing the ball completely, he scattered dirt over the president and those standing nearby. He took aim and swung again, but again missed the target. After the sixth failed attempt, Grant supposedly said, “There seems to be a fair amount of exercise in the game, but I fail to see the purpose of the ball.”
If we are not careful, it is easy for us to be very busy without actually accomplishing anything of lasting value. We need to keep our focus on the things that matter the most. One of the most amazing things about the life of Jesus was His ability to keep His focus on fulfilling the will of His Father. This was evident even when He was just twelve years old. He had a sense of compulsion and urgency to “be about my Father’s business.”
We only have a limited number of hours each day, and a limited number of days in which to serve God. That makes it vital that we are doing what matters most. Management guru Peter Drucker pointed out the difference between a focus on doing things right and a focus on doing the right things. We need to make sure that we are spending our time on what matters to God.—Daily in the Word
