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I pride myself on being a worker. I like hard work. I like knowing at the end of the day I have given the day my all. I also enjoy volunteering and even doing a bit of planning. When the world virtually seemed to shut down causing me to cancel most of my plans I realized that I was possibly addicted to busy. In those weeks of quietness, I felt as though I would go crazy.
Addicted to Busy
We live in a culture where being busy is celebrated. Don’t believe me think about it for a minute. Market companies are always coming up with ways to convince you that you need to have certain items so that you can accomplish even more in your day. Television shows show working women who seem to be able to do it all. The overwhelming amount of self-help books available to help us figure out how to get everything done in a day fuel the reminders that we need to be able to get all the things done because everyone else can.
The problem with this way of thinking is that this isn’t truly how we are meant to live. We were never meant to be so busy that forgetting to call to check on a friend was an issue or even a bad joke (guilty). We even feel guilty when we take the time to pamper ourselves. We actually like telling others how much we have to do and how much we have accomplished!
I am reminded of Mary and Martha from the Bible. Martha was busy rushing around her home striving to make everything perfect. Martha however, chose to sit by the Master’s feet. Her focus was solely on Christ…Now I am not saying we should just around all day and do nothing. I am saying, however, sometimes, we allow all that work to distract us from the bigger picture.
Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “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 10:38-42
Now that we know that we have an addiction to being busy what can we do about it?
- Center your actions with God: What is it that God is laying on your heart to do or walk away from? This will take time in prayer and in God’s Word to figure out.
- Weigh out our priorities: Sitting down and deciding what it is that you need to get done is key. Often times when we sit down and look at our calendar, there are a lot of things on there that are simply not needed. What are the main things that God is calling you to do right now in this season?
- Learn the word NO: If you are like me then you will say yes to most things to help people out. Though we are meant to help our fellow brothers and sisters, we must remember that there is a difference between helping and just busying our schedule.
- Let others take charge: When we do things that we are not being called to do we are cheating someone of a blessing.
- Schedule mandatory downtime: I don’t know about you but I discovered that once I got over the shock of not being able to go all the time I found that I really do love being slower-paced. Therefore I realized the importance of making time for downtime. That is what my Saturdays are for. They are low-key family and friends day.
- Have an accountability partner” We all need someone who can hold us accountable for our actions. Our addiction to busy should be no different. We need someone who is willing to tell us when we are relapsing.
We all lead busy lives but there is a difference between having a full life and beginning ruled by busy. The moment we realize that…The closer to inner peace we are going to be.
Until Next Time Just Keep Soaring 4 Him,
