Break Up With Busyness
You run out of work, pick up the kids from school, stop at the store to grab some milk and a few other items that your family can't do without, then drive home as fast as you can while stuck behind a late school bus dropping off students. You keep checking your watch trying to calculate how much time you will actually have by the time you get home. Will it be enough to make dinner, help the kids with their homework, get them ready for bed and still have time to finish your prep work for the Bible study tonight? And will your husband actually be home for dinner and ready to take over the homework and bedtime duties?
When did life become so complicated? We are all scurrying from one activity to another, doing our best to somehow keep God in focus. Maybe you are not in the kids and school phase of life, but you find your life just as tornadic. You long for a sense of tranquility and question whether all your activity is really accomplishing anything. "Lord, where are You in all of this? Am I missing something?"
There came a point in our lives where it seemed like we were ruled by our commitments and obligations rather than by the mission and purpose found in pursuing God's plan for us. Tom and I knew that there was only one answer. We had to "jump off the train." Our obligations were not leading us in the direction we wanted to go, not leading us closer to God, in fact, crowding Him out. The only way to regain serenity and sanity enough to get a sense of what He was saying was to "jump off the train", to break up with busyness and let our lives slow down enough to reconnect.
It took a while, but we were able to slow our lives down to a manageable pace and rediscover what it meant to spend time with each other and with God.
We don't always maintain that slower pace perfectly, but we will never allow the blur of the speeding engine to dictate our pace again. We work at intentionally slowing down, protecting days off and adding margin to our schedule. It isn't easy and we often fail miserably, but we recognize that God has created humans to live in a rhythm of work and rest and we honor Him when we try to live within the limits He has given us.
Key thought: I must be intentional about slowing my life down to a manageable pace.
A Scripture to consider:
A YES challenge: What do you need to do in order to break up with busyness?
Prayer:
Lord, I don't know when I lost touch with You in the busyness of life. I am doing "God" things, but I can't say that I am really experiencing You when I do them. Help me to learn how to stop, rest my body and my mind, and find a fresh connection with You. Thank you for helping me in my busyness, but help me to stop being simply busy so that I can become busy doing what pleases You most. Amen.
When did life become so complicated? We are all scurrying from one activity to another, doing our best to somehow keep God in focus. Maybe you are not in the kids and school phase of life, but you find your life just as tornadic. You long for a sense of tranquility and question whether all your activity is really accomplishing anything. "Lord, where are You in all of this? Am I missing something?"
There came a point in our lives where it seemed like we were ruled by our commitments and obligations rather than by the mission and purpose found in pursuing God's plan for us. Tom and I knew that there was only one answer. We had to "jump off the train." Our obligations were not leading us in the direction we wanted to go, not leading us closer to God, in fact, crowding Him out. The only way to regain serenity and sanity enough to get a sense of what He was saying was to "jump off the train", to break up with busyness and let our lives slow down enough to reconnect.
It took a while, but we were able to slow our lives down to a manageable pace and rediscover what it meant to spend time with each other and with God.
We don't always maintain that slower pace perfectly, but we will never allow the blur of the speeding engine to dictate our pace again. We work at intentionally slowing down, protecting days off and adding margin to our schedule. It isn't easy and we often fail miserably, but we recognize that God has created humans to live in a rhythm of work and rest and we honor Him when we try to live within the limits He has given us.
Key thought: I must be intentional about slowing my life down to a manageable pace.
A Scripture to consider:
God blessed the seventh day and made it special because on that day he rested from his work. Genesis 2:3 CEV
A YES challenge: What do you need to do in order to break up with busyness?
Prayer:
Lord, I don't know when I lost touch with You in the busyness of life. I am doing "God" things, but I can't say that I am really experiencing You when I do them. Help me to learn how to stop, rest my body and my mind, and find a fresh connection with You. Thank you for helping me in my busyness, but help me to stop being simply busy so that I can become busy doing what pleases You most. Amen.