Do you care too much?

Have you ever found yourself fuming over someone else's actions, only to realize it was a lesson in disguise? Join me, Will, as I share a baffling and irritating encounter at a gas station that became a catalyst for a deeper reflection on empathy, self-reflection, and our faith journey. 

We will also explore the balance between selflessness and individual accountability, drawing on powerful scriptures like Philippians 2:3-4 and Galatians 6:2-5. Through a personal story, I highlight the necessity of maintaining awareness of those around us and ensuring our actions align with Christian principles. Finally, inspired by a humorous meme and Proverbs 29:25, we look at overcoming fear with faith and the importance of staying true to our mission, even in the face of criticism. This episode aims to inspire you to live boldly in faith, reminding us all of our responsibilities to others while staying true to our God-given purpose.

Chapters

• 0:00 The Value of Empathy and Self-Reflection
• 14:50 Balancing Selflessness and Individual Accountability
• 25:37 Overcoming Fear With Faith

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

I say this when do you care too much? When is it okay to just zone out and not care about who's watching, not care about who's around? When is it okay to zone out? Sometimes I just want to like, I want to zone out and not care about nobody's feelings. What's happening?

Speaker 1: 0:34

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to another episode of the Soul Fuel Podcast, the pit stop for your soul to get fueled up for your journey in life. And, of course, we do it with Christ. I am your host, willie Robbins III, aka Pastor Will, and I want to talk about something today that really, 1,000 times, really disturbed me. I often go into this thought process and my brain starts to work whenever I experience something that is really speaking to me in a deeper way than I would like it to. In all actuality, it's probably made me uncomfortable and so, therefore, it leads me to what some would call overthinking. However, I believe that this really brings attention to my walk and how I'm advancing in my faith and what I, what the things that I'm not doing or the things that I'm probably suffering from, like this might have something to do with the last episode. I did a part two episode. I did a part one and a part two about not wasting time, right? So I think that what we're getting ready to talk about today and what was conjured up from this story that I'm about to tell you, it has a lot to do with wasted time. Let's get into it.

Speaker 1: 2:17

So I went to the movies with my wife and my oldest son the other day and on the way back I needed petrol, gas, petroleum Is that what they call it? Is it called petroleum? Okay, it's cool. I sound like I'm a little educated, like I know a little bit, but anyway, I went to get some gas at a decent-sized gas station. I mean, it had about what, what? 12 pumps. It was about 15 pumps maybe. And so I'm, I pull in and I'm like, all right, first one's open, I'm going to it. So I see one that is open and, mind you, it is a gas station. So as I I pull up, I see I think it's I don't know what pump it is but I see this pump, it's wide open. It's wide open. In fact, I think I don't even remember seeing the car that was there before driving off, but it was open.

Speaker 1: 3:21

So I get ready to pull in. You know, you got to make sure you know where your gas tank is, which side it's open, so I get ready to pull in. You know, you got to make sure you know where your gas tank is, which side it's on. So it's on the driver's side and I was getting ready to bust a right into the pump spot but then there is a Tesla. A Tesla pulls into the spot and I'm saying to myself, I'm trying not to get an attitude, but I'm sitting there and I'm saying to myself I'm trying not to get an attitude, but I'm sitting there and I'm like, okay, wait a minute, this is a Tesla. This is a scratch your head moment. Because I'm like, uh, a Tesla is a, an electric vehicle. So I'm stopping, I'm thinking maybe he's getting ready to do something. I don't know what I thought, but then it it hit me, it dawned on me Okay, I know that Tesla, this Tesla is an electric vehicle. Right, it's based on you know, I've driven a Tesla before be at the gas pump.

Speaker 1: 4:22

So I was a little kind of irritated because it was already full and everybody's trying to get to a pump, and so there's a Tesla taking up a spot that I was headed to. But then I realized, okay, maybe he's got. He had to have a gas can. But here's the thing that got me. Here's the reason why we're having this conversation and the reason why I'm telling you the story is because when he got out he did not have any type of reaction to the vehicle. That was feet. I'm feet so so much, like, so far away. I want to say like feet away, so many feet away Let me say it like that because y'all going to think I'm ignorant so many feet away, but anyway, I was so many feet away.

Speaker 1: 5:16

He got out and the guy had no like. He had no remorse, no regrets. Remorse, no regrets, no sense of reasoning or or the thought that somebody is seeing what he's doing. He's not gonna like look up to wave or anything. He's unapologetically taking a gas pump, wasting time. And essentially he's not wasting time because he did put gas in a can.

Speaker 1: 5:51

But still I was thinking that vehicles that actually took gas were a little bit more important in that he could possibly wait until it was popped to somebody else who got gas, or he could have went to another pump or waited. And I can't even tell if he was on the other side because the gas station was full, so I don't know if he was waiting for the other person to leave. I really honestly feel like he just pulled in. He just saw a free pump and he just pulled in. He didn't think about anything else. But the part that bothered me about him is that he didn't look up. He didn't look at anything else and I'm like, okay, this is an issue, this is an issue. And then, as I kept on thinking about it, I I I backed up and I saw there was another free pump that came open and I parked at it. But I was still stuck on.

Speaker 1: 6:46

This man that got about this Tesla Didn't look around, didn't, didn't? I'm not saying he should have asked if it was okay, but, sir, care about others who are really here to get gas in their vehicles. Now, with you and your Tesla that's already probably charged up that you get to charge from the convenience of your home, right, I'm thinking, okay, man, have some type of um empathy for those who actually need to put the gas in the car, not in a can. I know they're both three letter words in the car, not in a can. I know they're both three-letter words, but the can is less important than it is for a car, right. I think a car is more important that it gets the gas that it needs, right? So I'm thinking about this and thinking about it, and thinking about it, thinking and thinking, and thinking, and thinking, and thinking, and thinking and thinking.

Speaker 1: 7:50

I'm like, what did the audacity I had no right to to think the way that I was thinking, although it, um, I feel like you know, most people would drive a car who needed gas, who was at the pump first? Cause that's what I felt in my mind. I'm in my heart. I'm like I was there first. How could you, how could you just do this, you know? So that was that offense.

Speaker 1: 8:14

But as I continue to think about it, as I continue to think about it, I started to question myself. I did, I questioned myself. The question was why was that bothering me so much that he didn't acknowledge the fact that I was there first or I needed it more than he did? Like, what, what like. Why was I bothered that he didn't pay attention to me? Why was I bothered at the fact that he didn't look up? He didn't acknowledge the man, got out, popped his the back, the hatch, got that gas can out, started fueling, and he was on the phone too. And I remember being at the pump and I was just like he's just going to take up all this space and like I don't know. In that moment I just felt like he was using up all the gas. Look at him taking all the gas, because you start thinking stupid stuff when you, when you get irritated with some things you don't even like. But I I thought about this and I sat with it and I was like, okay, why am I tripping? He's just getting gas like everybody else, right? So now I have to have a heart-to-heart in my mind.

Speaker 1: 10:01

So I wrote this little paragraph in my phone in my notes and I'm going to read it to you. I literally wrote this while I was sitting at the pump. And while I was at the pump I got a car wash. You know how you get a car wash when you're sitting at the pump and they be like hey, you're getting gas, we see you're getting gas, would you like to get a car wash? I was like, why not? Car's dirty. I hate driving around with a dirty car. So I said, why not? And again, I've been wasting time in getting it washed. I've been wasting time. I've been wasting time. I had been saying I need to get this thing washed. I need to get this thing washed, but I didn't do it. I was wasting time. So while I was there, I said, you know what, let me go ahead and wash it. And so, while I get in line to wash, again, I'm with my wife and my son and I get in the line to waiting for the wash and I started writing this paragraph.

Speaker 1: 11:00

So so I said being too mindful of other people. When can this concept be harmful? When do you draw the line of simply not caring what others think? What did I mean by that when I said when do you draw the line of and caring about what others think? I was talking about being mindful of others. Like my attitude with that man came from a place of him, just like not giving a single care about somebody else who actually needed gas. Right, like the care of it, not even just the fact that you're a Tesla and you're about to fill up a gas can, but just the fact that you didn't acknowledge I don't know. Like the fact that he did not acknowledge that there was somebody that was possibly there first and it just seemed that he was just entitled. And yeah, you're going to wait. You know, that's just the aura and again, part of that could have been from me knowing that, hey, I was next, but he pulls up anyway. So this is what I wrote.

Speaker 1: 12:13

I said where do you draw the line of simply not caring what others think was it? Is it me that's tripping? And then I begin to write what I just told you. I write the incident down and then I say this when do you care too much? When is it okay to just zone out and not care about who's watching, not care about who's around? When is it okay to zone out? Sometimes I just want to like I want to zone out and not care about nobody's feelings, like I don't care about anybody's feelings when it comes to the gospel, when it comes to preaching the gospel, when it comes to saying what the Bible says and being right about it. I don't care about their feelings in terms of is it offensive? Because the truth is always offensive. Right Again, as a believer, as a child of God who wants to obey his word, the two greatest commandments love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, mind, soul, strength, and then love your neighbor as yourself. So this is a very interesting conversation.

Speaker 1: 13:36

This is a very interesting topic and a very interesting thought that came from this moment at this gas station, because I feel like it just brought out so much about me and my career and the things that I have not done yet and the things that I should do but haven't done because I'm afraid of what people are going to say. Now, mind you, again, I'm not afraid what people are going to say when it comes to the gospel I'm talking about. When it comes to the choices that you make in business and doing the next thing. You know, even when you acknowledge the Lord in it, right, and you get the okay and it's okay and you're doing this thing, I realize that a lot of things have not been done and things. The time has been wasted because of the fear of what people will say, caring too much about what people have to say about it.

Speaker 1: 14:50

So I was searching and I came up with a couple of scriptures and I'm going to read this from the NIV. But I came up with a couple of scriptures that speak to this idea. It speaks to the question, because we never want to just assume and say, hey, I'm going to just zone out. I'm going to just start zoning out, because no, then that would be me living from my emotions and walking in my feelings. And if I walk in my feelings then I'm walking in the flesh. And I never want to be guilty of walking in the flesh, because when we walk in the flesh again, we are emotional and we begin to operate and do things that end up not being pleasing in the sight of God.

Speaker 1: 15:31

Philippians, chapter 2, verse 3 and 4, says do nothing in selfish or vain glory. Do nothing with selfish ambition or vain conceit, rather in humility. Value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests, but each of you to the interests of others. So it's not saying don't care about yourself. So it's not saying don't care about yourself, but care about the interest of others more than yourself. And this would be in line with the second greatest commandment, which is to love your neighbor as yourself. So this is what I expect from other people. This is what I expect from other people.

Speaker 1: 16:25

Does, did that? Did that man in the Tesla know that? Um, there was somebody waiting to use use that pump first. Was he considerate of other people? I don't think he was. Does he know the Lord Jesus? I don't know, um, maybe he does, maybe he doesn't, but this scripture is emphasizing the importance of considering others and valuing their needs, which suggests a balance of self, a selflessness and respect that makes a whole lot of sense. Ladies and gentlemen, you know that, really, you know the world would like to use in the therapy world. They would probably use the word.

Speaker 1: 17:16

This triggered you, this was a trigger for you and it was, but I believe that everything happens for a reason. This conversation would not be happening, this episode would not be happening, if it had not been for that moment at that gas station, because it really made me think about this. It really made me go down that path of thinking okay, do I have a green light to be able to be, you know, zoning out to, to be able to, to be able to just have tunnel vision on what I need, or is that, is that not the way that I should operate? Should I always be aware of other people around me? Now, we should always be aware of people around us, just like we should always be aware of our surroundings. Growing up, when I used to be sitting in the back seat, I was always looking at my surroundings, I was always looking out the window and I was tall enough to look out the window. I look out the window probably couldn't tell you a doggone street, but I could probably tell you how many turns we made. So, being aware, your awareness level never goes anywhere. But when it comes to our awareness of people, we're always to be on guard.

Speaker 1: 18:58

Galatians, chapter six, verse two through five, says carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves. Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone without comparing themselves to someone else, for each one should carry their own load. I don't really care for how NIV words this, but it's still the word of God, right? Paul perfectly lays this out again, answering the question that we, that we had in the beginning Is it okay for me to zone out? Is it okay for me to have tunnel vision and do what only I need? No, clearly, from Philippians 2, it said let nothing be done through strife or vainglory, but in lowliness of mind, let each esteem others better than themselves. That's the way I remember the King James Version, right? But Galatians goes even further. He says carry each other's burdens. Well, he's talking about believers. He's talking about believers that are in the body of Christ, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. How do you fulfill the law of Christ? Well, the second greatest commandment, the second law, was to love your neighbor as yourself. So if I am carrying each other's burdens or I'm helping others carry their burdens, I am fulfilling the law of Christ. And if anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves. Each one should test their own actions, and so this is why this conversation came about, because I'm really I had to test my own actions. I had to test my own actions, I had to test my attitude. I had to test my offense, or the offense that was made towards me, or the offense that I was in. Was it sinful? I don't believe it was sinful. I didn't say anything wrong, but it was I, it was what I felt. So, again, that's where we take the thought captive and bring it to the obedience of Jesus Christ. That's why I had to write it down, and I wanted to talk about this.

Speaker 1: 21:18

I and I showed my wife the paragraph. I said hey, what'd you think about this? She's like oh, that's good Because, like for real, you know what I mean, like I, just there, like for real, you know what I mean, like I. Just there are a lot of times where I just want to zone out and I just want to just like, just have tunnel vision on the thing that I'm trying to do. But I've got a wife, I've got children, I've got people who I pastor, who call me pastor, I'm a father, which that's what I meant when I said you know, I have children, I'm a son. You know I can't afford to zone out, and if I can't afford to zone out, you can't afford to zone out, being a child of God, you know, and that's why you know we have to seek God for that balance, that just balance.

Speaker 1: 22:18

This is talking about the balance between helping others and personal responsibility. It shows the importance of supporting one another while also emphasizing individual accountability. This is why he says in the verse each one should test their own actions. Again, that's what I did the gas station. I had to test my own actions. Why am I offended? I wasn't so offended that where I felt the need to say something to the man, no, I just went to the next one. But I was like man that's jacked up. Man that's jacked up, that's jacked up, that you would, that you would not consider somebody else when you know I was right here, which I don't know if the man knew that, but still he didn't acknowledge nothing. He didn't say, oh I'm sorry, I'll just get some, I'll just get some gas in the can. You know, I think that's probably what I would have done and what I would have done.

Speaker 1: 23:13

I often expect people to do it when I know that that's not the reality, because I'm always mindful of other people and we're getting ready to show you how this can be detrimental, how we see this, on how we're supposed to be when it comes to people. We're supposed to be considerate of others. 1 Thessalonians 2, verse 4 says On the contrary, we speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please people, but God, who tests our hearts. Listen. Our job already, as believers, is to live out the gospel and to constantly be reminded of the gospel and to constantly know what the gospel is, so that we're not chasing good activities, so we can appear to be made something that we're really not, because we forget our purpose, which is to serve all people, which is to really be mindful of all people. We have to prioritize the Lord's approval, which is his anointing, over seeking the approval of others, so that we are mindful of where our true priorities are. That's what it is, right, that's what it is, and I'll give you this last verse.

Speaker 1: 24:56

I'll give you this last verse, proverbs 29 and 25. It says fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the lord is kept safe. So that's what I wanted to speak to. Right, there is that you don't have to be afraid of what people are going to say, because one thing for sure we know that people are going to talk, people are going to say the things that they're going to say. People are going to, they're going to strategize you, they're going to sanitize you.

Speaker 1: 25:37

I was trying to think of that meme, of that lady that was saying all the things that people are going to do to you and she was just butchering all the words. But they're going to scandalize your name. Try to scandalize your name. Scandalize your name. Try to scandalize your name. Scandalize your name. Listen, she was right in what she was trying to say.

Speaker 1: 25:56

But people are going to do what people are going to do, but we're safe in the arms of the Lord, so we don't have to waste time or let me just say me, I don't have to waste time being afraid of what people have to say. And so, just like I'm not afraid of what people have to say, when I minister the gospel, when I go live, when I'm streaming to whatever platform I'm streaming to and people comment, I'm still going hard, I'm still going in for the Lord. Why? Because I believe in what I'm saying, I believe in what I'm doing. So, in the same way as I am acknowledging him in all of my ways and everything that I put my hands to, everything that he has given me the gift to do, I can do it without fear of people. I can do it without fear of people because the fear of man, as Proverbs 29 and 25 says, fear of man, will prove to be a snare. A snare is a trap. A snare is a trap and fear will cause you to be stuck in a place of no progression and you'll continue to keep talking and never take action, because fear has paralyzed you from moving, has paralyzed you from moving.

Speaker 1: 27:28

This has been another episode of Soul Fuel Podcast. I pray that this ministered to you. I pray that this filled you up, gave you everything that you needed for your journey in life, as you do it in Christ. This episode is sponsored by Red Passage Pro. If you're in the Dallas area and you need space, you need space to record your podcast. I don't care if you're solo or if you're a two-man show. Whatever it is, hit them up at Red Passage Pro on Instagram. Share this with everybody you can auntie, uncle, sister, brother, cousin, mama, daddy and I pray that it do what it does peace.