by Dr. Jeff Mathis
I have a knack for caring about the wrong things.
Let me explain.
Several years ago, I received some unexpected counsel from an unusual source. I had an appointment to see my dentist in Asheville because I had a toothache. Confident that I had developed a cavity, I prepared for bad news. Ever sensitive to the dental hygienist and the supervising doctor, I observed my caregivers to snuff out the horrible thing they had found in my mouth.
I was surprised, then, when my dentist sat down at eye level and said that my teeth were fine.
"You don't have any cavities," he told me with a sly grin. "You don't have any decay."
"Really?" I said, wondering what was afoot.
"You're clinching your jaws and grinding your teeth," he reported.
I couldn't understand why he was smiling at me as though he had caught me trying to steal another cookie after supper.
He seemed to be enjoying himself when he asked me, "You're a pastor aren't you?"
It wasn't a question. He had something to tell me. I nodded slightly.
"Let me give you some advice."
Uh oh, I thought. Here it comes.
"Care less," he told me.
"I'm sorry, what?" I sputtered.
"Care less. Your worrying has you clinching and grinding your teeth."
I drove home in silence, weighing the validity of my dentist's unsolicited advice. Is caring less really the answer?
Let's be honest. There's a lot to care about.
When we look at how Jesus navigated the concerns of our world, Jesus was inundated with crises and matters of great concern. The Gospels tell us that Jesus was often fatigued by the crush of the crowds and would take swift action to extricate himself from the masses. Even Jesus's ministry was limited by how much of him there was to go around.
We know this to be true, however: Jesus cared about people. And caring about people is the right thing for which to be care-full. As a result, Jesus shared the burden of his care for others by recruiting disciples to help provide a ministry of compassion and hospitality.
We should care more for people, not less. But how about the amount of misplaced care that we give to that which is far less precious?
If I had to amend my dentist's advice, I would say that we should care less about the less important things. Indeed, we waste time and energy caring about things we cannot and do not control. There's already much to care about. Hence, we should be prudent and wise about what gets and keeps our attention.
To be clear, caring less about the less critical things does not mean we should be careless. In this context, caring less means being circumspect about the energy we expend mentally, spiritually, and physically about the things that occupy our lives.
Being the disciples that Jesus has called us to be means caring. Let's be careful, therefore, to care about the things that matter and to care less about the things that don't and shouldn't.
As for your teeth, see a dentist. You may get a mouthful of advice.
