Why Multitasking Is Good For Men!
One particular Sunday morning was turning out to be quite pleasant. The bible class about leaving a spiritual legacy to our children was encouraging and I had just enjoyed 2 crème filled donuts because it was “Unity Sunday” at the Metro church. Metro has two services and once a quarter the 2 services are combined and donuts are served for an opportunity for fellowship between class and the worship.
I was also looking forward to delivering my prepared communion talk that morning. After the announcements, the worship leader got up and led the first song. Just before he started the second song, he asked for patience from the congregation when he expressed that he was struggling a little bit with leading singing and using the remote to move the PowerPoint presentation along at the same time.
I was impressed with his “confession” and wrote him the following note: “Chris, Leading singing and using the remote is called multitasking. (Men doing
two things at once). Good job! Keep up the good work! Agape, Glen."
When it was time for me to deliver my communion talk, I gave him the note on my way to the podium so that he would be encouraged during services and not after.
Personally, I enjoy doing communion talks because it allows me to multitask simply by having to think and talk at the same time and it gives me the opportunity to express my faith in a public forum.
Had I known he was going to share my personal note to him with the entire assembly right after communion would have made me reconsider my timing.
Afterwards, I went up to him with a big smile on my face and said: “If I had wanted to embarrass myself I would have done it on my own during my communion talk.”
We both had a good laugh because it is standard practice in our society to humiliate men for the perceived inability of being unable to do two things at once.
This teasing is done at the personal level but we don’t treat our sports figures the same way. NFL Football games require multitasking. Look at NFL quarterbacks and their receivers. As the ball is snapped on a play to the quarterback, he now has the responsibility to look for an open receiver in a limited amount of time while at the same time having to be aware if the 250 pound plus linemen from the opposing team have broken through his offensive line in their attempt to sack him. The receiver is also multitasking because he is now running down the field to position himself to receive the pass at the same time trying to out distance himself just enough from the opposing team player so that the play can be completed.
Here are but a few quarterback to wide receiver passing combinations that give lie to men’s ability to multitask. Johnny Unitas to Raymond Berry – they are both in the hall of fame. Troy Aikman to Michael Irvin - a Dallas Cowboy dynasty. Jim Kelly to Andre Reed - even if the Buffalo Bills could not win one, these two men led the team to four Super Bowls. Steve Young to Jerry Rice and Joe Montana to Jerry Rice for the 49ers and most recently, Peyton Manning to Marvin Harrison who together have secured every single QB to WR major record.
No one would think twice about ridiculing these men about multitasking.
And in a number of ways we multitask in our daily jobs. To me multitasking for men comes under ridicule in our spiritual lives. In Chris’ comment about my note, he mentioned that multitasking is natural for women. Women will come together in a group and start sharing and communicating. Two men will get together; introduce themselves this way: “Hi, I work for living, what do you do?” Reply: “I also work for a living.” And they are done talking until they find a common interest outside themselves such as fishing, hunting and sports.
The need is not that men need to “get in touch with their feelings” or “communicate better”. It is about communicating the most important things. Yes, shared interests are the starting point of relationships between men but only a starting point. I believe we have the responsibility not only to “look after our own interests but to look after the interests of others” (Philippians 2:4.) This command is not limited to the physical world but has its foundation in the spiritual world.
To me, multitasking is simply a man not only having his faith but acting on his faith. Hebrews 11 gives by name those who had faith and acted on that faith in God by doing the following: leaving his home, offering his son as a sacrifice, building an ark or choosing to live as a slave not as a slave owner. Please read Hebrews 11 and consider just who Abraham, Noah and Moses were thinking about when they acted on their faith.
We are also called to act on our faith. Our actions may not rank on the level of the three men just mentioned but our actions still have profound effect on those around us, regardless if it is in our family, church or work. Fortunately, we asked to start out small – serving communion, leading singing or performing a communion talk. In all of these actions we are expressing our faith in God to the congregation we worship with.
And as we perform these small public actions, we are then encouraged to multitask through the Holy Spirit to look at our heart so that our personal lives are equal to our public lives. Peter reminds us in 1st Peter chapter 1: “But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy.”
But do not lose heart at this command because Paul also tells us in Philippians that we are not alone when we attempt to multitask to become like God. Paul speaks from experience when he says: “Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed….continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.”
I challenge you to not only examine your faith but begin to act on it since God is with you.
I was also looking forward to delivering my prepared communion talk that morning. After the announcements, the worship leader got up and led the first song. Just before he started the second song, he asked for patience from the congregation when he expressed that he was struggling a little bit with leading singing and using the remote to move the PowerPoint presentation along at the same time.
I was impressed with his “confession” and wrote him the following note: “Chris, Leading singing and using the remote is called multitasking. (Men doing
two things at once). Good job! Keep up the good work! Agape, Glen."
When it was time for me to deliver my communion talk, I gave him the note on my way to the podium so that he would be encouraged during services and not after.
Personally, I enjoy doing communion talks because it allows me to multitask simply by having to think and talk at the same time and it gives me the opportunity to express my faith in a public forum.
Had I known he was going to share my personal note to him with the entire assembly right after communion would have made me reconsider my timing.
Afterwards, I went up to him with a big smile on my face and said: “If I had wanted to embarrass myself I would have done it on my own during my communion talk.”
We both had a good laugh because it is standard practice in our society to humiliate men for the perceived inability of being unable to do two things at once.
This teasing is done at the personal level but we don’t treat our sports figures the same way. NFL Football games require multitasking. Look at NFL quarterbacks and their receivers. As the ball is snapped on a play to the quarterback, he now has the responsibility to look for an open receiver in a limited amount of time while at the same time having to be aware if the 250 pound plus linemen from the opposing team have broken through his offensive line in their attempt to sack him. The receiver is also multitasking because he is now running down the field to position himself to receive the pass at the same time trying to out distance himself just enough from the opposing team player so that the play can be completed.
Here are but a few quarterback to wide receiver passing combinations that give lie to men’s ability to multitask. Johnny Unitas to Raymond Berry – they are both in the hall of fame. Troy Aikman to Michael Irvin - a Dallas Cowboy dynasty. Jim Kelly to Andre Reed - even if the Buffalo Bills could not win one, these two men led the team to four Super Bowls. Steve Young to Jerry Rice and Joe Montana to Jerry Rice for the 49ers and most recently, Peyton Manning to Marvin Harrison who together have secured every single QB to WR major record.
No one would think twice about ridiculing these men about multitasking.
And in a number of ways we multitask in our daily jobs. To me multitasking for men comes under ridicule in our spiritual lives. In Chris’ comment about my note, he mentioned that multitasking is natural for women. Women will come together in a group and start sharing and communicating. Two men will get together; introduce themselves this way: “Hi, I work for living, what do you do?” Reply: “I also work for a living.” And they are done talking until they find a common interest outside themselves such as fishing, hunting and sports.
The need is not that men need to “get in touch with their feelings” or “communicate better”. It is about communicating the most important things. Yes, shared interests are the starting point of relationships between men but only a starting point. I believe we have the responsibility not only to “look after our own interests but to look after the interests of others” (Philippians 2:4.) This command is not limited to the physical world but has its foundation in the spiritual world.
To me, multitasking is simply a man not only having his faith but acting on his faith. Hebrews 11 gives by name those who had faith and acted on that faith in God by doing the following: leaving his home, offering his son as a sacrifice, building an ark or choosing to live as a slave not as a slave owner. Please read Hebrews 11 and consider just who Abraham, Noah and Moses were thinking about when they acted on their faith.
We are also called to act on our faith. Our actions may not rank on the level of the three men just mentioned but our actions still have profound effect on those around us, regardless if it is in our family, church or work. Fortunately, we asked to start out small – serving communion, leading singing or performing a communion talk. In all of these actions we are expressing our faith in God to the congregation we worship with.
And as we perform these small public actions, we are then encouraged to multitask through the Holy Spirit to look at our heart so that our personal lives are equal to our public lives. Peter reminds us in 1st Peter chapter 1: “But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy.”
But do not lose heart at this command because Paul also tells us in Philippians that we are not alone when we attempt to multitask to become like God. Paul speaks from experience when he says: “Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed….continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.”
I challenge you to not only examine your faith but begin to act on it since God is with you.
posted by Glen at 6:25 AM
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