Too busy? It is a common refrain. I just got back from vacation. I no more than get back and I get sucked right into the vacuum. The emails, voicemails, and mail were all piled up. Today, I have six different meetings to attend, not to mention putting the polishing touches on the worship services and messages for Holy Week. On top of all that, it was Abby’s birthday on Monday. We have two separate birthday parties this week for her. Oh, and then I couldn’t forget to send out this weekly email.
It is easy to get overloaded without really trying. Many Americans wear “too busy” as a badge of honor. We are sucked into the thinking that if we are not busy then there must be something wrong with us. But God did not call us to live busy lives but to live significant lives. Just because we are busy does not mean we are pursuing significance. I can just as easily be busy with insignificant things as I can be with significant things.
This coming Sunday I will be talking about the things that blind us to the work of God in our lives. One of those things is busyness. We get so wrapped up in our day to day affairs that we miss the big picture. When he rode into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, Jesus indicates the Pharisees did not recognize God’s coming to them. (see Luke 19:44) They were blind to recognize who Jesus was. They were so busily focused on their rules, regulations, and religion that they could not see the Lord standing right before them.
At more than one point in time, you might have heard yourself saying, “I don’t have time!” The reality is we all have time. The question is how we use the time. We will always make time for that which is important to us. If we don’t choose what is important now, others will choose those priorities for us and we will find ourselves living far away from our priorities. Worse yet we will find ourselves living away from God’s priorities.
Living in significance is not always about saying yes. More often than not it is about saying no. It is about saying no to the things that provide us little or no value like watching TV for hours on end each night or compulsively browsing the internet without purpose or aim. It is also about saying no to some other choices that are good and have redeeming value, but will keep us from making the better choices. The thing that marks the most accomplished and successful people in any given field is that they are singularly and determinedly focused on one thing.
Neil Stephenson, an author, writes why he avoids correspondence such as email, voicemails, and such. He says, “I cannot respond to all incoming stimuli unless I retire from writing novels. And I don’t wish to retire at this time.” Now this is an extreme case. Most of us don’t have the luxury to avoid correspondence. But the point is clear. Neil Stephenson has chosen what is important for him and because of that he excels in his area of expertise.
So what are you pursuing with Jesus? Do you know what he is calling you to pursue? Maybe you are so busy you haven’t figured it out yet? Maybe you find yourself so busy that while you know what you have been called to pursue you find yourself continually distracted by other affairs?
We are filled with choices every day. I would imagine there are many things in all of our lives which we feel compelled to say yes to that we really could say no to. We probably all could use a little bit of pruning so that we will not make the same mistake the Pharisees made and fail recognize Jesus in our lives.
Lord, I pray you would give me this day a singular focus. I pray that my choices would be your choices. I pray that you would guide me to follow your leading and to go where you would have me go. Help me to avoid the temptation of distraction that I would significantly fulfill the purpose for which you created me. In Jesus Name, Amen!
