Often I answer the question “how are you?” with “busy!!!” Why do we do this?!
I’ve been challenged recently about busyness and some of the lies that can be behind why my diary is often pretty full.
I have to be busy to impress people
If I was honest the reason behind answering how I am with being busy it’s usually so that people know I am hardworking, loving or to get some sort of sympathy. The problem with this it says this in Galatians 1:10: “For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.”
There’s only one opinion that matters and nothing in a diary is going to alter his opinion or impress him. Are you putting things in your diary because you love others or to earn love from others?
I have to busy to impress God
Do you ever think about all the things you’re not doing? The things in church that you’re not signed up to, or looking to friends who seem to do so much and you ponder why you seem to be failing? Luckily our faith isn’t based on works.
I heard someone say once that there are many good things that we can do. There’s many, many things we should care and pray about but there’s only a few things we should be doing. What a pressure relief! God has good works prepared for you to do but it’s not to earn his affection or acceptance. God took you on without any payment or IOU in place. Take comfort in the knowledge you don’t have to do every good thing!
At the moment I’m asking myself the questions about why I am doing something. If I find it is based on a lie I take it out of my diary.
“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” – Matthew 6:21.
I really want my how I spend my time to reflect where my heart is at, what I’m passionate about, and treasure the hours I get to chose what I do. Sometimes that involves battling for those things – like going to church. The reality is we will often, if not always, be pretty busy therefore sometimes we have to be firm with what we want.
It can be easy with things like church to push them to one side. My encouragement is that on the busiest of weeks is the time you need church the most! God has such a burning passion for his church, it’s one of his biggest priorities so even on those weeks you’re reeaally not feeling it, try and make it your priority.
Today, why not have a think about what is important to you and look at whether the time you give it in a week reflects its value to you.
