A Moment in Time – June 5th, 2019
June 5, 2019
“Doin Too Much”
Sometimes I’m “Doin too much.” Okay. I said it. sometimes I am” doing too much”. In fact, “I do the most.” That’s right: I accept my truth and I will own it.
If you haven’t heard someone say the phrase “you’re doin’ too much” or “you do the most,” chances are you don’t spend much time with folks under the age 40 or you don’t get out much J. Don’t feel bad, my oldest son tells me I’m a little out of touch sometimes too, even though I think I’m conscious. If you’re out of touch, ask your nephew or daughter about the phrases: “doing too much and doin the most” they’ll likely smile and they may even tell you about a hip hop song by Moneybagg Yo & Yo Gotti, which depicts the actions of ‘Pam,’ a girlfriend who is simply “doin too much”. Now I was more of a soca and reggae guy growing up so this song was new to me…but no excuses, I’m a little out of touch LOL.
So I went to the ‘urban dictionary’ – (don’t judge me), to ensure I could share with the rest of you out of touch folks a clear definition of ‘doin too much’: Typically, “you’re doin too much” or “you do the most” is reserved for folks who worry about unnecessary topics; irritating a person, whether purposely or unaware; telling a joke but nobody laughs afterwards. Sound familiar? In a school setting, a classmate may say to her friend, “you did all your homework already—you know it’s not due until Friday, right? “Girl, you’re doin too much.
Now, I think my jokes land pretty well so I may not fit that definition of “doin too much” but I am definitely a grinder; I’m a mover and a shaker, and sitting still, passively standing by waiting for something to happen for me is not my modus operandi. I think some folks who would claim “I’m doin too much” are just lazy and doing too little! But I digress.
Look, I was raised in a home with edicts like “anything that’s worth doing is worth doing well” and “If at first you don’t succeed, try try again.” The book, “The little engine that could” was read to me often as a boy: “I think I can, I think I can, I think I can.”
These mantras have value. It’s clear they have impacted my worldview and work ethic—they’ve helped me in many ways. But how have they impacted my theology…my understanding and approach to God? How do they impact my expectations of self, others, and my Heavenly Father? Being a border crossing brotha or border crossing sistah requires that we reflect on our expectations—positive or negative, and the origin and implications of these expectations. We’ll talk more about this in the coming days.
But for today, ask yourself, “are you doin too much”? Do you have too much on your plate? What is essential and what do you need to remove? Or in your faith walk, are you trying to work your way into heaven? You are saved by Grace through Faith, it’s a gift of God. Stop “doin too much.” “Jesus already did the most,” by dying for us while we were still sinners. Rest in His promises. He’s got us.
This is Dr. Ty Douglas, author of Border Crossing Brothas, and I want to invite you to experience SALT—So Amazing Life Today; it’s available to each of us, in Christ.
You can reach Dr. Ty at www.DrTyDouglas.org and follow him at @DrTyDouglas.
Link to purchase Border Crossing Brothas: https://www.amazon.com/Border-Crossing-«Brothas»-Navigating-Critical/dp/1433135388