If I hear myself say, “I’m so busy” one more time I’m going to toss my phone in the James River and hide the power cord to my laptop.
Lately, it seems like every other email I send starts with, “I’m sorry I haven’t written sooner. I’ve been super busy.” Ugh. This mania has got to stop.
I’m starting to think I’ve gotten this busy thing ALL wrong
Being busy just might not mean we’re on the right track and doing the right things.
Think about it. When we’re going from one thing to the next with our eyes on a To Do list and our hands poised to mark off another task, we can forget to ask a simple question.
Should I even be doing this?
What’s the difference between a bunch of busy lemmings hurling themselves into the sea of vain productivity and us busy people being superficial in our juggling of the job, family, volunteerism, and the ever-elusive “dream”? Not much. Doing the same things over and over again probably isn’t going to bring about the kind of real living we’re craving.
Don’t put off today …
How about faith? God is super patient, but what does it say when we’re too busy to worship, pray, read the Bible, or care about others? Even if we are doing those things, are we really thinking about them or are we eyeing the dent we can make on that To Do list?
And if you’re not a believer but think you might want to look more into God when you get a chance, when exactly will that be? There are forces in this world that want to make sure you never take that kind of look, so if you’re waiting for it to be the right time, let me be the first to say, “Now is the right time!”
The value of a well-lived life
I’ve been thinking about this, and I think it has to do with our view on life itself. The more value we place on life is inversely proportional to how busy we are.
And don’t go the wrong direction on this.
When we don’t think much about life, we stay busy going from one thing to the next and never stopping to ask why or what or even if we should be doing that busy thing. And I get it. Slowing down and thinking can be scary. What if we ask ourselves a question with no answer? What if we discover everything we’ve been so busy about has all just been a huge waste of time?
But is a yes answer to any of those questions a good reason to never ask them?
When we value life, believe it has a purpose, and know who we’ve been created to be and who created us, then I think we will never be too busy for anything. Somehow it will fit together. We will see time differently.
As we approach this holy weekend when we pause to remember Jesus and the sacrifice he made for ALL of us, may we truly pause and be silent—not rushed or frantic, but still and focused. The quiet just might make a difference.
What a great reminder! Slow down, breathe, and reflect. And Easter is a perfect time to evaluate our call. Thanks for the wake up call.
I was thinking about you when I mentioned writing my friends and whining about being busy.Thank you for always understanding!