“How are you?” “Good. Busy, but good!”
Have you heard these words lately? Whether from yourself or friend, it’s a common phrase in our greetings these days. That’s because we’re a society that’s become addicted to being busy. No matter who you are or what you do, if you live in the western world, I bet you have a busy life. Your schedule is always full. You always have to check your calendar before you say yes when invited out because double booking is frustrating and it’s happened before, more than once.
“And He said to them, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?” -Luke 2:49
Be About His Business
Being about the Father’s business is something that every Christian woman wants. Working, being a mom, church activities, all of these things add to our to-do lists. These are all good things, but it can cloud our judgement when dealing with people. Life is made up of relationships. We are wired to make connections, both with God and with others. When we overextend ourselves with activities, we can miss this important aspect of life. In turn, we end up feeling lonely and empty. The more we feel this void in our lives, the more we strive to find something to fill the emptiness with unfulfilling activities. In other words, we feel empty because we are too busy to make personal connections with people, so we try to fill that emptiness by being busy. We are caught in a never ending cycle.
“When things slow down, we’ll have to get together”
Have you said or had this said to you recently? I know I have. I am a mom and the Executive Director of a crisis pregnancy center. I’m also a pastor’s wife. I lead worship and I teach Sunday school. I am very busy but I’m also terribly lonely.
As I spend time in prayer over this dilemma, Jesus showed me the cloud of busyness which surrounded me. It became clear I needed connection, not just with Him, but with the people in which He dwells. Face-to-face contact is important.
“Social media is an oxymoron because it gives the illusion that we are more connected than ever before.”
We are the busiest and the loneliest we’ve ever been before. It’s because we’re not fully connecting with people. Our interactions are usually business related or online. We hurry home from our jobs in order to run around the house to get dinner ready, hurry to bed so we can get a good night’s sleep, and then do it all over again. Intentionally meaningful conversation, fellowship, and community are what’s missing in the life of most lonely people.
“Let’s pick a date because if we don’t do it now, we’ll never do it.”
These are words that I have tried to use more in my rushed conversation with people. Picking a date to put all other things aside in order to connect with someone face-to-face has helped me meet with people. And yet, it can still feel like one more thing to do. In Lysa Terkeurst’s book, “The Best Yes,” she talks about the importance of “making wise decisions in the midst of endless demands.”
“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that gives to all men liberally, and it shall be given him.” James 1:5
Slow Down
Slowing down enough to intentionally live connected with Jesus and others can be overwhelming. However, we have a Savior who understands what it’s like to live with many demands. He often would slip away by Himself to be with the Father. Jesus would even retreat with his disciples, even if just a few of them, in order to make a meaningful connection. This meant that he had to leave things undone for a bit. So what does Christ’s example show us? It’s okay to step away from the demands of our responsibilities for a little while so we can refocus, re-establish, and re-enforce our relationships with one another. It can be easy to forget why we are running around in the first place.
“So in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.”
– Romans 12:5
As a working mom, you have a lot of responsibility to get many things accomplished. The idea of leaving things undone can be foreign to you. Ask our loving, Heavenly Father to give you the wisdom to make good choices that result in deeper connection with Him, your family, and others in your circle. When we ask Him to dispel the cloud of busyness in our lives that takes us away from true communion, He will be faithful to complete it. He will keep giving us opportunities to shed ourselves of unnecessary busyness and focus on what’s truly important, those around us. Remember that it’s alright to slow down every now and then and press pause on your busy to-do list. You’ll find yourself re-energized and ready to tackle anything that comes your way.
Do you have any stories about being overly busy? Do you have any tips or suggestions to share about managing the busyness in our lives? We would love to hear from you!
