Are You Busy?

I know it has been a couple weeks since my last post but the truth is I have just been too busy to…  Well, you know the drill.  It seems like we are all busy these days.  Too busy.  Being busy is certainly not a sin.  As a matter of fact, the Bible teaches us to avoid things like laziness, slothfulness, and idle hands.  However, being too busy, is most certainly a sin.  Too busy means that there is obviously something else in our lives that we are neglecting because we are busy doing something else.  You have probably seen the acrostic Buried Under Satan’s Yoke.  Busy tends to fill our live with the urgent while causing us to neglect the important.  I am reminded of the story in Luke’s Gospel about two sisters, Mary and Martha.

            As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him.  She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said.  But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made.  She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself?  Tell her to help me!”  “Martha, Martha”, the Lord answered. “You are worried and upset about many things but only one thing is needed.  Mary has chosen what is better and it will not be taken away from her.”   Luke 10:38-42

I was in a conference once when the leader read this passage then asked, “Are you a Martha or are you a Mary?”  I thought, “I’m an Eric.”  The truth is I only act like Martha sometimes even though I would much rather act like Mary.  When I start getting stressed out and exhausted, it is not because of the many things I have found to do, but rather because of the things I have chosen not to do; things that feed me and refresh my spirit.  Things like spending time alone with Jesus, enjoying my family and friends, or just relaxing in order to recharge my physical, spiritual and emotional batteries.  Like Martha, I sometimes get so busy trying to do the many things that constitute service for the Lord, I neglect doing the things that reflect the joys of knowing the Lord.  In those times, I am too busy.

Once a lady came into my office and said that she was so stressed out because her house was such a mess she could barely walk through it.  I suggested she go home and clean her house.  Later she thanked me for that great advice and said that it had worked!  My point is, sometimes the answer is obvious.  If you feel overwhelmed because of the busy-ness of your life…slow down.  Be intentional to do those things that feed your spirit.  The psalmist David wrote “My times are in your hands.”  (Ps. 31:15)   Surrender your time to the lordship of Jesus Christ and see what he will do with it.  Remember, he allowed Mary to just sit back and listen. 

Thanks for reading.