While I don't deny the importance of outcome, I think the process should also be valued.
What do you think about the following scenarios? (let me first state that these are real-life situations that I have heard before... and those were genuine responses I heard from other people about those real-life situations)
1) A kid has been a delinquent all his life. He has rebuffed all help from his family and professional social workers. What should the teacher do?
2) Someone's mother was found to have dementia. The mother would never be able to take care of herself, and her cognition will only deteriorate. What would the person do?
3) A child was borne with a congenital disease, with no cure and treatment. No baby in the world with that disease has lived beyond the age of 6. Essentially that means that 0% survived beyond age of 6. What should the parent do?
4) Someone's spouse was found to have Stage 4 cancer. There is nothing that the doctor can do for the patient. What should the family do?
*I would not presume to know the right answer, as I do not presume to know God's will. So the answers are mine alone*
In all the 4 scenarios, it paints a situation of "no hope" in increasing order of magnitude. If someone believes that the outcome is the most important, then he would direct his effort and energy into something that is more 'productive'. Such people may have the following thoughts:
- Why should I try to rehabilitate the delinquent when everyone else has failed?
- Why spend my energy and time to take care of my mother, when she will only get worse with time?
- Why spend money on therapy and medication and time on a kid who won't grow up to take care of me?
- Why waste time caring for the spouse who's going to drag me down, when I can just pack my bags and leave?
Indeed, when someone focus entirely on the outcome, they may come to the conclusions "I can't change the outcome anyway... why bother?"
--------------------------
So why do people decided to take the "more difficult route" of:-
- Teachers spending additional time and energy to rehabilitate the youth.
- Sons/daughters changing their career to be able to take care of the mother with dementia.
- Parents who gave all their money, time and love to a child who has no 'future' (defined by society).
- Spouses who stay true to their wedding vows, and hold on to their spouses "for better or worse, in sickness and in health".
I feel that they choose the "more difficult route", because they feel that it is the right thing to do. They know that it's going to be challenging, they know that the outcome may never change... but they continue to do the right thing.
The process matters.
And for people who commit to their beliefs, know that the journey may be more important than the destination.
---------------------------
For us Christians, we know that "in all things, God works for the good of those who loves him..." (Rom 8:28). This is the assurance we have from our God. With that assurance, we have the confidence to do God's will, to do God's work.
Not because the outcome can be changed by our Lord (as we do not know His will and His plans), but because it is what God wants us to do.
Focus on the process, and not the outcome. Often times, I heard of Christians getting disappointed when the person they preached to did not respond in a favourable manner. And they failed to realised that they may only be the person that sows seeds, and not the person who is harvesting.
-----------------------------
For those who believes that the outcome is more important... let me ask you a final question.
No one can avoid the (physical) death. Since the outcome is inevitable, should we stop living then?
No comments:
Post a Comment