444. Importance of Margin
Some time ago, I watched a video about an experiment comparing kind people and unkind people. They placed a fake person in need on the street, and they watched who came to help him. Surprisingly, the experiment strongly suggested that it wasn’t the character that decided the outcome, but rather a sense of “margin.” Those who felt they had enough time to help were much more likely to do so. However, those who felt they didn’t have enough time passed by the ones in need, though they probably would have helped if they had felt they had enough time.
It is easy to conclude that we have character issues when we are simply lacking margin in our lives. It is easy to think that you are an angry person because you tend to yell or snap at people easily. However, there are many quiet and soft-spoken individuals who also struggle with anger. It could simply be an issue of “margin”. When we feel there is more margin and time available, we can respond to things with greater kindness and patience.
We can blame the lack of margin in our lives on constant demands from people, our job, or our ministry. However, the biggest reason is that we do too many things God never told us to do. That’s why there is very little margin. How do I know that? Because Jesus had margin in his life, having a world to save and redeem.
For example, even when Jesus was on his way to heal a dying girl (an emergency), he had the margin to stop and minister to a woman who had touched him. Because he vowed to do only what his Father is doing (John 5:19). It means he decided not to do anything his father is not doing. As a result, he had margin in his life.
That is why we need a “To-don’t” list, not just a “To-do” list. Busy-ness is the byproduct of trying to check off our “to-do” list that is not in God’s. So before we set out to create a to-do list, it would be wise to sit down and create a “to-don’t” list first. The list is not limited to tasks: We also need a list of events we won’t attend, hobbies to not dabble with, and types of invitations to decline.
Holy Spirit knows our limitations and what type of activity is truly life-giving to us.
That is why margin comes from “prayer”. We hear his guiding voice most clearly when we spend time alone in prayer with Him. Jesus often withdrew to a deserted place to pray (Luke 5:16) so he could be clear about what he needed to do and what he didn’t have to do. Jesus pursued not “hyper-productivity” but “holy-productivity”.
