When I was in my preteens, I decided I wanted to learn how to juggle. I grabbed three old tennis balls and began to toss them into the air, trying to catch them and toss them up again and again. At first, I started the process over my bed so I wouldn’t have to chase the balls so far. Smart move for me. Eventually, I could do some very elementary feats of juggling. Then, I decided to add a fourth tennis ball to the mix. Disaster. I quickly learned that what I thought I could handle was way out of reach…literally.

It is always interesting to look at Jesus’ life and see how he lived out His purpose and ministry. I don’t see evidence of Jesus juggling. He was laser-beam focused on what His Father had for him to do. In His pre-teen days in the temple, he declared, “I must be about my Father’s business.”

When the disciples urged Jesus to stay in Capernaum, where the Lord had very successfully healed the sick and defeated demons, He announced to them:

I must preach the Good News of the Kingdom of God in other towns, too, because that is why I was sent.

Luke 4:42 NLT

While we multitask and try to juggle several ministry tennis balls, our time with the Lord suffers. We move between family, work, church, and community activities with scarcely time to breathe.

One secular study concluded:

A major hurdle in multitasking is keeping your focus razor-sharp. When your attention is divided among several tasks, it’s tough to concentrate fully on any one of them. This often results in a fragmented focus, diminishing your effectiveness on individual tasks.

While we may not be able to avoid giving attention to multiple projects and activities, we need to do as Jesus did…find quiet time to listen to the Father and stay on task for what God says is a priority.

Jesus said:

  • I must be about my Father’s business.
  • I must preach the Good News of the Kingdom of God.

What is the Father’s “business” for you?

God’s best,