Inbox Mayhem

Do you have Inbox Clutter?
Spam... I can't stand Spam! Yes, there is a program installed on my computer that is supposed to get rid of it, but I still get a ton of it. Okay, maybe not thousands, but 20-30 a day! Spam is nonsense clutter!

How about those chain e-mails? You know the ones that say you must pass this on to 10 others or your life will fall apart!

How about those 'Good luck' chain e-mails that say, "If you forward this to 5 people, you will have 1 year of good luck. If you send it 10 people, you will have 3 years of good luck... and if you send it to 20 people, you will receive a porche, a mansion and 1 million dollars out of thin air"???

Here's the one that bothers me the most. Maybe your friends or family have good intentions, but they send you that heart-felt Christian story about God or Jesus. They tell you if you aren't ashamed of your faith, then you NEED to send it out to 10 people. As if you are denying God if you don't. Trust me, I love talking to people about how Jesus changed my life and how He can give them hope. It is a HUGE turn-off to me when I am challenged by guilt to pass on an e-mail to others in order to show my love for God. That's nonsensical!

In this day and age, everything we do is "Instant"- response by a push of a button. I have learned to put margins in my "inbox" life. If there are e-mails that are not critical, I will wait 24-48 hours to respond. I will prioritize my responses by family, church and close friends. If the e-mails are valuable and need my response, I will get to them right away. If they are not, then I wait 24-48 hours to respond.

Here is fact: The quicker you respond, the more people will demand or hone in on your quick responses and expect it from you. Slow down! Just like responsibilities in the real world, we need to know how to prioritize who or what is important and get the job done... all other mayhem can wait.

Pause for a moment and escape the inbox mayhem. Here is food for your soul:
"My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken." Psalm 62:1-2 (NIV)

><>


All posts are the sole property of the Heart Like Jesus blog. You must obtain permission to use any of the information on this blog.