Lent: why 'taking on' can be bad

Anybody who's seen/read Bleak House will remember Mrs Jellyby. I love the wikipedia definition of her as a "telescopic philanthropist" obsessed with an obscure African tribe but having little regard to the notion of charity beginning at home.

If you take on too much, if your efforts, patience and love are always directed outside, at "those worse off", then you're at risk of peeing off those nearest to you, and making them worse off than the people you're trying to serve.