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Believing God is able to do immeasurably more than all we can ask or imagine

Giving up Busyness

April 3, 2014 By Phil Ressler Leave a Comment

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Week 4: Thursday

Scripture Verses

  • Luke 10:38–42
  • Matthew 11:25–30

Questions to Consider

  • Why do we value busyness?
  • How does busyness hinder our relationship with God and others?
  • How do we overcome busyness?
  • How does Jesus help us overcome busyness?

Plan of Action

  • Take a nap. Rest. Relax. Recognize you busyness is only wearing you out.
  • Make a check list of the things you need to do. Then set it aside to spend some quality and quantity time with friends and family.
  • Give yourself a deadline to get your work done and stick to it. In other words, give yourself a shorter amount of time to get your work done. We typically expand our tasks to the amount of time we allow for them.

Reflection

I love check boxes. I love to-do lists. It feels good when I’ve got a long to-do list, and I am able to scratch a bunch of things off that list. It leaves me with a sense of accomplishment. I feel good about myself. I like to be busy.

We wear busyness as a badge of honor. We are asked how we are doing and our response is: “Busy!” In our fast-paced culture, we might almost think that there is something wrong if we are not busy. Everyone else is so busy.

But busyness does not always translate to effectiveness. Have you ever had that day when you felt like you were so busy, but wondered what you actually accomplished? Busyness alone does not bear fruit and it is not necessarily what God desires from us. The truth is that our busyness can actually hinder what God wants to do in our lives.

Busyness makes it about what we do rather than about the relationship we have with God. But we love our checkboxes.

Worship on Sunday Morning
Give an offering to the Church
Pray at mealtimes and bed times
Serve in a ministry in the church
Other

We feel as if we can check all the right boxes and then we will be good with God. But imagine if you made your relationship with your spouse about a bunch of checklists. Our spouses are more than a box to check on our to-do lists. It is the same way with God. We cannot limit him to a checklist.

So let’s give up busyness today. In the end we will discover we spent a lot of time doing things that really did not matter. Let’s focus on what most important. In the story of Mary and Martha in Luke 10:38–42 Martha is busy serving Jesus while Mary sits at his feet. Jesus says to Martha:

“Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:41–42 (ESV)

Notice Jesus does not say many things are necessary. He says one thing is necessary. So relax. Your busyness for God is not doing anything but wearing you out. God is not counting your checkboxes and neither should you.

Religion is about checkboxes, but Jesus did not come to give us more religion. He came to give us a relationship and rest for our souls!

Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:29–30 (ESV)

Next: Loneliness

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Filed Under: 40 Things for Lent, Blog Tagged With: 40 Things for Lent, Busyness, Effectiveness, Fruitfulness, Productivity, Rest

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