Slay Busyness

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Busyness, what’s the solution? First, we need to just stop. And by stop I mean turning off the phone/tablet/laptop, etc. Just power down, set boundaries for yourself on when you can and cannot do work at home, on when you will and will not answer calls.  It’s not sin to not answer calls as long as you respond in a timely manner. Pencil in alone time, time with God, and time with your spouse and family, time away from the rest of the world.  Busyness leads to burnout, which is a real problem, especially among clergy. So, we give ourselves space and then…prioritize.

What are the priorities in life?  Personally, I put them in this order: God, spouse, kids/family, work.  Jesus definitely had God as his first priority for scripture states that, “…crowds gathered to hear him and to be healed of their infirmaries. But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray.”[1] Yeah, you heard that right, Jesus knew that God was of the utmost importance and that He alone demanded attention, so yes, all the people that were clamoring and vying for Jesus just had to wait.  Was Jesus a jerk for not dropping everything to be with the sick and needy? No, He knew where his vigor came from.  As a recent sermon I heard noted, “Jesus clung to prayer as to a lifeline, because it grounded Him in the eternal and it gave Him strength He needed to know and do the Father’s will.”[2] 

Relax and Rejuvenate;)
What does this look like here and now? For me, it means turning on K-Love in the morning instead of the TV or laptop to check emails, and talking about the Bible with my wife. Hey, look at that, I just hit my first two priorities!  The two of us also look at the calendar and find time where we can focus on God and each other.  Then there is the power of saying ‘no’ to things that clutter your life. Simply, 'NO.' Take time to unwind and rejuvenate and really look at how awesome this world is in the small things.


What little things can you do today to start slaying busyness?

[1] Luke 5:15-16.
[2] Keith Boyd. “Why Pray?” Trinity Baptist Church. March 3, 2013.

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