Staci Stallings: Three Ways to Talk Yourself Out of Anything

Three Ways to Talk Yourself Out of Anything
By: Staci Stallings
Good things. Specifically doing good things.

Oh, we all say we want to do good things, and sometimes we even do. But then there are those other times. Those times when we know what the right thing to do is, but we just can’t get ourselves to do them.
Well, just for those out there who are looking for a really good excuse to get out of doing something good, here you go. Three ways to talk yourself out of doing anything good:
1) Why is this my problem?
If you’re like me, you see them–the people who need help all around you. Some are small problems. Maybe someone needs help getting picked up for services, or maybe someone else needs a babysitter for the evening. It doesn’t really matter what the problem is. The solution to getting out of helping, is one little question: Why is this my problem?
The truth is. It’s not. It’s their problem. And you have no obligation to help anyone. Someone else will probably help, and even if they don’t, you won’t have to worry about the consequences of not helping. So, when you’re faced with someone needing help, go ahead, ask yourself, “Why is this my problem?” It’s not, so you don’t have to do anything about it.
2) What’s in it for me?
Probably nothing. In fact, the greater the need of the other person, the less chance that there’s something in it for you. We all know that if there’s nothing in it for me, there’s really no use doing it. So, now you have a back-up to Question #1.
3) What’s the very minimum I have to do?
If all else fails and you find that despite your best efforts to avoid helping, this question is for you: What is the minimum I have to do? If they say come for two hours, can I show up 10 minutes late and leave 15 minutes early? After all, it’s the face-time that really counts. If they need a Sunday School teacher, can I tell them I will do it and then show up… oh, say 3 out of 4 times? If they need food, can I bring something store-bought, frozen, or maybe just napkins?
/snark off
Okay. Maybe I’m being a little harsh, but too often, I find myself using these three questions to get out of doing something good. Now I know there are people pleasers among us (you know who you are) who say yes to everything, including things they know they cannot hope to accomplish. However, some of us go to the other extreme.
If any of these sound like you, do a simple heart check. Make sure your actions are lining up with what you profess to believe. After all, I really can’t see Jesus asking any of these questions. Can you?

Copyright Staci Stallings, 2010