I have to imagine that some comic book writer has already done this: put Superman in a situation where the problem is not any specific challenge but the fact that he has to be three or four places at the same time dealing with equally difficult challenges. For all of his strength and speed and nigh invulnerability, he’s not omniscient or omnipresent. How would his ability to fly get him out of a situation where he has to stop three bombs from going off when they’re in opposite parts of the world? He can’t do it all himself, and how does he decide what job gets his personal attention?
I bring this up to confess that my greatest weakness is cognitive overload. When I have too much to think about and prioritize, I get paralyzed in inaction or take a whole lot of time to do stuff that keeps me busy but doesn’t help me in getting done what I want to really accomplish.
I do this by starting twenty books at the same time or seizing up when picking a new one or not working on substantive writing projects because it’s so much easier to start a new one or revise old ones.
This isn’t just about work either. If I could just be a dad or husband, things would be so much easier. The fact that I have to be both and then balance those responsibilities with my professional life fills me with stress.
When I feel like this, I come back to a couple of verses:
The first is Matthew 6:33: “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”
The second is Luke 10:42: “…but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”
I pray that in any given moment, I will have the courage to seek God’s kingdom first, to do the one thing that is necessary, and to seek others’ good before my own.