Yesterday was a day meant to accomplish much.
The list was long, and everything was marked with a check.
Except for one thing… Did I shirk my duty?
No. It’s not needed just yet, though ordered by the doctor.
Move that task to today. It’ll get done.
Shirk means “avoid or neglect (a duty or responsibility).”
Duty means “a moral or legal obligation, a responsibility.”
There are responsible things I put off until the last moment.
Okay? Sometimes, I work better under pressure. That’s real.
But there are times I shirk my duty because I’m afraid.
The results are scary – most men hate going to the doctor…
And would much rather hear bad news instead of facing problems early.
Sometimes, the mail stacks up. Duty calls, and I ignore it.
Other times, the check makes it into the mail a bit too late.
Handling something at the last moment is still a safe way to think.
Unless there are more duty items than one has time to deal with.
I know sometimes I shirk, other times I shoulder,
And still, other times, I smile when I finish something sooner than needed.
Jesus teaches a lesson about needing and hiring laborers for the vineyard.
When it came time to pay, everyone received the same amount.
Even those who started late in the game.
A complaint was made, “Why did they get as much as we who worked longer?”
Jesus explained they all agreed to work for a specific wage.
It was the owner’s position to give as was contracted for.
Then, he makes a famous statement for those who shirk and those who shoulder.
So the last will be first, and the first last.
For many are called, but few chosen.”
(Matthew 20:16 NKJV)
Some will say… Let’s wait until the end; we’ll get the same as those who started early.
Well, okay. That’s assuming the opening is there when you think it might be and that you’ll be able to do what is needed for the award then.
This is where we differ. Though I shirk other things, I will shoulder for the best reward.
My bride and I will celebrate 50 years of marriage in a few months. We won’t celebrate big—that’s just the way we are. But I know the day will come when we finally retire, and we’ll enjoy the remaining years of our lives together because we did not shirk but shouldered our relationship.
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