Busyness for the sake of busyness is a horrible burden.
Jesus invites.. commands (with your best interests at heart): "Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." Matt. 11:28-29
Too Busy to Sit at Jesus' Feet?
The average person may spend decades consuming entertainment. Years disappear in front of screens. Smartphones are checked constantly. Hours become days, days become years, and years become a lifetime.
But life is not measured merely by what we do. It is measured by what we love.
Jesus said, "Occupy till I come" (Luke 19:13, KJV). He never said, "Scroll till I come."
How we spend our days is how we spend our lives.
Satan Does Not Always Tempt With Evil
Sometimes he tempts with endless activity.
If he cannot lure believers back into the works of the flesh, he will often try to crowd out prayer, Scripture, worship, and fellowship. He knows that a distracted Christian is often an ineffective Christian.
Voddie Baucham wisely observed:
"It's always amazed me how people spend their lives not having time for God, being too busy for Him - but hoping to go to heaven for all eternity, and be with the God for whom they had no time for. NEWSFLASH: When you die, you will continue your same relationship with God!"
"THERE'S A SAYING "IF THE DEVIL CAN'T MAKE YOU BAD, HE'LL MAKE YOU BUSY," HE WILL DISTRACT YOU AND CAUSE YOU TO FOCUS ON ALL THE THINGS THAT DON'T MATTER. DISTRACTIONS ARE THE ENEMY OF GREATNESS. FOCUS ON WHAT MATTERS MOST." ~ J.C. Ryle
Did ya know that the average American will spend 30-40 years consuming media and entertainment?
Think about that. In a life that may only last 70-80 years: About 15 years will be spent in front of a TV.
Another 6 years scrolling through social media. And we check our smartphones 96 times a day on average.
That's not just a time issue. It's a priority issue. Jesus said, "Occupy till I come." He did not say, "Scroll till I come."
If the devil can't pull you back into Vice From, Christian, or back into the works of the flesh -- sin, then he will push you to to become too busy for time alone with God in his word and in prayer or with God's family at church.
How we spend our days shapes how we spend our lives. If the devil can't pull you back into Vice From, Christian, or back into the works of the flesh -- sin, then he will push you to become too busy for time alone with God in his word and in prayer or with God's family at church.
Remember how Martha went off, got in the flesh, got all worked up, way too uptight, filled with frustration because she was serving Serving SERVING. Yep, too much instead of sitting at the feet of Jesus listening to God's word like Mary her sister was doing.
Martha had lost her peace, but Mary was content and at peace to be with the Lord.. to learn, to hear the truth of God's word.
Not every full schedule is a fruitful schedule.
Busyness is not the same as faithfulness.
Activity is not the same as spirituality.
Being occupied with too many things will cause us to neglect the One Thing. Let's keep the one thing.. the main thing.. the main thing.
Martha Was Serving. Mary Was Listening.
Luke 10:38-42 gives a picture many Christians know all too well.
Martha loved Jesus, but she became "distracted with much serving" (v. 40). Anxiety and frustration replaced peace and joy.
Mary simply sat at Jesus' feet and listened to His Word.
Jesus lovingly said:
"Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her" (Luke 10:41-42).
Martha was so busy serving. She was all in for trying to please for Christ by her "good works."
God's presence was better to Mary than earning or receiving presents. Oh how wonderful it still is to simply be with Christ.
Jesus said Mary had chosen what was better.
We Are Often Overworked and Underfed Spiritually
Modern culture celebrates speed, productivity, and endless noise. We rush from one task to another while neglecting our souls.
Yet Scripture says:
"Be still, and know that I am God" (Psalm 46:10).
"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28).
"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind" (Romans 12:2).
Jesus Himself withdrew from the crowds to spend time with His Father (Mark 6:31). If the sinless Son of God needed quiet places, how much more do we?
Beware Both Idleness and Busyness -- There is a Good Balance
The Bible condemns laziness and meddling.
Paul wrote:
"We hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies" (2 Thessalonians 3:11).
"Idle hands are the devil's workshop" is not a Bible verse, but it reflects biblical truth. Laziness invites temptation, gossip, and meddling.
Yet there is another danger:
Busy hands can also become the devil's workshop when they leave no room for God.
Biblical rest is not laziness.
Biblical diligence is not frantic activity.
God calls us to faithful labor and peaceful dependence.
A Quiet Life Is Not a Wasted Life
Paul urged believers:
"Study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands" (1 Thessalonians 4:11).
Not every Christian is called to prominence.
But every Christian is called to communion.
Not everyone will stand behind a pulpit.
But every believer can sit at Jesus' feet.
Not everyone is called to be famous.
Everyone is called to be faithful.
Consider Your Ways
The prophet Haggai spoke to people busy building their own houses while neglecting God's priorities:
"Consider your ways" (Haggai 1:5).
That question still confronts us:
What fills our minds?
What consumes our hours?
What occupies our hearts?
The issue is not merely whether we are busy.
The issue is whether we are busy with what matters forever.
Listen, if the devil can't pull you back into vice, the works of the flesh, a life of sin, then he and his thugs will push you until you are just too busy for time alone with Jesus. The fruit will go.
If you become too idle, then he will try to fill up that spare time in your mind and then deeds.
Seek First the Kingdom
Jesus said:
"Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you" (Matthew 6:33).
Paul exhorted:
"See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil" (Ephesians 5:15-16).
And Isaiah pleaded:
"Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near" (Isaiah 55:6).
The dishes can wait.
Social media can wait.
The notifications can wait.
Jesus cannot be an afterthought.
A Little Story
A man spent years climbing the ladder of success. He worked long hours, filled every spare moment, and kept promising God, "One day, when life slows down, I'll spend more time with You."
Retirement finally came.
But by then, habits had been formed. The television was familiar. The phone was familiar. Busyness was familiar.
God had become unfamiliar.
He discovered that eternity does not suddenly create a relationship with God. It simply continues the one we have cultivated here.
One Thing Is Needful
Robert Murray M'Cheyne wrote:
"What your people need most is your own personal holiness."
Andrew Bonar said:
"Reformation and revival begin with this, getting alone with God."
A. W. Tozer observed:
"Anything that keeps me from my Bible is my enemy, however harmless it may appear."
And Charles Spurgeon said:
"To sit long with Christ is the best way of catching His spirit."
So work diligently.
Serve faithfully.
Love your family.
Fulfill your responsibilities.
But never become so busy doing things for Jesus that you neglect spending time with Jesus.
For when life is over, we will never regret having prayed too much, trusted too much, or sat too long at His feet.
"One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in his temple." — Psalm 27:4
If the devil can't tug you back into your old life of sin, Christian, tug you back into an ole pet vice, then he'll drive you onward too much like a maniac rancher. Not like a loving, gentle shepherd. He'll push, shove, and prod you on.. faster, faster, more, more.. produce more for the Kingdom.. until you drop. If he can't make you really bad, then he'll distract you away from your first-love. He'll woo you off to become too busy for Jesus.
When a Christian hits their knees to pray in the powerful name of Jesus, then devils freak and panic!
He'd rather have you back all into the works of the flesh (sin), or if not he will lure you to become too busy for time alone with Christ in his word and in prayer, or with God's family at church.
What does the Bible say about work ethic? What is a Christian work ethic?
What are some Bible verses about working?
What does the Bible say about labor?
What does God say about workaholism?
There is a time to be busy serving the Lord, but there is also a busyness that is sin. The greatest tragedy is not being busy. It is bein' all busy with everything except the One Thing that matters most. Your relationship with God. Worship is to come before working for Christ. Read some more on this stuff...
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