Randy Ferguson’s message this Sunday reminded me of this post by David Wayne (emphasis mine):

Jesus was fully present to the people amongst whom He lived. Incarnational ministry will have a distinctly local flavor. This is one of my great regrets over the past years of blogging – that I let a desire to make a name for myself in cyberspace lead me to seek a presence there to the neglect of my presence locally, to my family and church. I again offer my apologies to family and church for this. I’m not a total Luddite on this and I do see the value of writing on a blog, but I do think Hunter is right and offers some good words to those of us who love blogs. We only have so many hours in a week, if Jesus’ incarnation is any model for our interaction with the world then our interaction with the world will have a distinct local flavor where we are fully present and we will want to use the hours we have to the greatest effect locally.

What is especially powerful about this is that these are the regrets of a dying man. David was found to have cancer a couple of years ago, and he will finish his race sooner rather than later.

When Jesus faced his end, he gave an account of his life with this statement: “I have done the work you have given me to do.” (John 17:4) I don’t want to face my end giving a poor account of my stewardship of the lives placed near mine. I don’t want to face my end offering apologies to those closest to me because I thought they were too small for me.

I don’t want to excel at the work God has not given me while I fail at the work he most assuredly has.