Description

Do you hit the ground running each day? Is your day so jam-packed with activities that if one thing goes wrong your whole day could blow up? There are always so many things to do, and most of them are really good things, making it hard to say no to any of them. Being busy is an epidemic in our society, but it doesn’t mean we are supposed to live crazy, busy lives. If you constantly hit the ground running and keep up a frantic pace until you drop into bed at night, then you might just be too busy. It might be time to slow down so you can get some balance in your life. In this first post, Sheree DeCouto shares some thoughts on why we get too busy and what we can do about it.

"Are You too Busy?" by Sheree DeCouto

I’ve always been adventurous, but storm chaser I’m not; at least not by choice. While I wouldn’t purposely look for a storm, I do have a bad habit of creating a flurry of activity that keeps me feeling like I’m in the middle of a F5 tornado.

Take yesterday for example. The wind started kicking up before I ever got out of bed. My mind was racing about everything that needed to be done. With no time to waste I was up, dressed and out the door. There were things to be done, people to see and places to go. By nightfall the storm had taken its toll and once again I flopped in bed exhausted knowing I hadn’t spent time with God.

I know the solution lies in my inability to say "no" to some things. But how do I choose what to say no to when everything I do is good?

Martha knew exactly what it was like to be in the middle of a flurry of overwhelming activity. Her F5 tornado began when she decided to invite Jesus and his friends to dinner. It was a noble mission and she got right to work. No doubt she planned an awesome menu and probably pulled out her best china. There was no time to waste sitting at Jesus’ feet.

It didn’t take long for Martha to realize she’d over committed. Her solution was to get help, but Jesus’ solution was to change her perspective on the predicament. Yes, there was a meal that needed to be prepared, but Martha’s sister Mary had chosen to spend her time siting at Jesus’ feet and according to Jesus this was the better choice.

Do you know what it’s like to be too busy and miss out on time sitting at the feet of Jesus?

After considering Martha’s story I’ve found 3 principles to consider the next time I see the storm clouds of busyness brewing:

1. Even noble missions can overwhelm us. Knowing this ahead of time will help us make the right choice.
2. Our activity robs us of the better choice. In Jesus’ reply to Martha’s plea for help he said, “Mary has chosen what is better and it won’t be taken from her.” When we choose the activity of serving God above the activity of being still before Him something has been take away from us.
3. We’ll never find peace in the midst of our self-created storms without changing our perspective. Jesus never told Martha not to finish the meal. He just pointed her to the only thing in life that is really needed; time with Him. When our perspective changes, our priorities change.

Rushing around chasing self-created storms and hoping that we will somehow, by osmosis, feel God’s peace will never happen. If you are like me and know what it’s like to continually be robbed of the better choice because of the decisions we make then I hope you’ll join me today by first taking time to sit at His feet.

Read
Luke 10:38-42

Pray
Lord, I get so busy with so many things to do that sometimes I forget to stop and listen to You. Help me learn to stop being busy and instead choose the better thing.

Reflect
Am I always working and staying busy, or do I give myself time to sit at Jesus’ feet?

Respond
Take an inventory of each day of last week. What does your schedule say about what’s important to you? Were you too busy for God or your family?

Being too busy makes us miss out on important things like sleep, family time, and time with God. Even if everything that makes you busy is good work, too much of it can be bad for you. If you are striving for work/life balance, you will never find it if you don’t learn to clear your calendar and slow down. This is one of the reasons God created the Sabbath—to give your body and your spirit a day to slow down and rest. In the next post, discover why a Sabbath rest is so important to your work/life balance.