Busy Lives Are Empty Lives

For the past year I have been too busy to read a small booklet that was mysteriously placed on my desktop. The booklet is titled Beating Busyness by Adam R. Holz. The quote on the back cover is what finally drew me into its pages. It says, “The emptiest lives are those stuffed with motion from morning to night” (David Henderson).

God wants us to make motion while we work. But our lives must also be open, peaceful, and rested up. The concept of not over stuffing your life is rooted in our Old Testament, which states: “But six days you shall labor and do all of your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath of the LORD your God; in it you shall not do any work (Exodus 20:9-10b). To not stuff your life pleases God. Further, this is his design. Our lives are to be patterned into a work/rest cycle.

Stuffed lives have no rest cycle. Such lives do not include time for God, prayer, and have little peace. We think we are pleasing God by doing much but we are not. For example, take the story of Mary and Martha. Martha welcomes Jesus into her house. But as he is there she ignores him, while her sister Mary lays at his feet. She is fussing over meaningless details rather than enjoying her company. Obviously Jesus isn’t pleased, he says “Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her” (Luke 10:41-42). Mary had chosen Jesus over crazy busy.

Which are you choosing? Recently, one dear saint suggested to me that the word “no” was one of the godliest words we could use when asked to do something more. He was right!

The suggestion to say “no” often falls on deaf ears, which results in most everyone, including me, being too busy. Friends, this is a problem. It isn’t living, and I’m tired of it. I’m weary from weeks that never seem to end, which bleed into new months, seasons, and years. But there is hope; it may only be realized when we take some Sabbath time away from everything. That is what it took for me. It was the silence of the chukar hills, coupled with a full day ahead of me with nothing to do but nothing. It was time with no phones, no computers, no alarm clock, just soul rest. I was 15 again! I was without a care in the world except my thoughts and prayers to God.

Regarding cares, do you feel ruled by “the tyranny of the urgent?” If so, there is hope. And we can change together. Now, I’m not suggesting that anyone do what I do. You can find quiet and prayerful rest in your own home even with young children in the house. That is, you don’t need to go anywhere, but you must fight busyness in your life.

Now, how can we begin to deal with the frenetic pace of our lives? Consider your answers to these questions:

1. What does my life really look like?

2. Why am I so busy?

3. How do I set my priorities?

4. How can I learn to make decisions that reflect God’s wisdom?

5. What is my real mission in life?

6.  What place should quietness, rest, and personal retreat have in my life?

I am in the process of repenting and sorting through busyness in my life. My weeklong vacation led to me realizing that I must make better decisions with my time.

For now, may our Lord richly bless you as you seek Him instead of seeking that next urgent task.