You know your life is too busy when:
-The glove compartment of your car is as full of speeding tickets as Jim Carrey’s in, “Liar, Liar.”
-You get your kids’ names confused…and you only have one child.
-You’ve double-booked yourself so many times you Day-Planner has divorced you for being a two-timer.
-Your mechanic schedules you for regular brake replacements due to your chronic
tail gating.
-The longest conversations you have with your spouse are when he talks in his sleep.
-You look for a Smartphone app that will remind you every morning what day of the week it is and what your name and address are.
-You can’t remember what you did yesterday without consulting your calendar.
-You’ve ordered take-out from local restaurants so many times they’ve come up with a “Frequent Muncher Miles” rewards card just for you.
-You get into your car to leave for work and discover you’ve forgotten to remove the hanger before putting your suit jacket on.
-Your mind is so occupied with other things you drive someplace you didn’t intend to go and have no idea how you got there.
A century and a half ago, the fastest mode of transportation was a horse and buggy, and the most exciting entertainment was the circus rumbling into town. The most advanced form of communication was letters carried by young men on small horses racing across vast expanses of American frontier. We made good use of what we had and appreciated it.
Today, faster and faster modes of transportation get us to more places in shorter amounts of time. We have access to more and more opportunities and commitments. Our advanced communication gives us virtual ringside seats to wars in the Middle East or connection to a friend thousands of miles away.
But is technology to blame for our frenetic lifestyles and packed schedules? Or is it something deeper—something my pastor once labeled, “hurry sickness?”
Maybe it’s the pressure we feel to do what everyone else is doing. Kids convince parents that certain sports and activities are the “cool,” in things so they have to be part of them too. Mom and Dad find themselves scheduling taxi service into their daily agendas as well as other involvement required by such commitments.
As adults, we often fall into the same trap. There are certain expectations that seem like unavoidable necessities in order to gain approval, success, and happiness. Sometimes these things do not fit our individual interests, dreams or talents.
This mindset of busyness has infected the body of Christ as well. It seems that the more you “work for the Lord,” the more you are praised and sainted. A leader in a well-known, world-wide mission agency I worked for, once gleefully stated he was so busy “serving” the Lord he was tired all the time; He once fell asleep at a boarding gate during a trip and missed his connecting flight.
How often as Christians, do we copy the patterns of society around us by running hither and yon, wearying ourselves? Jesus said to His disciples, “Come ye apart and rest awhile.” (Mark 6:31) The Bible also says, “In quietness and confidence shall be your strength.” (Isaiah 30:15) Romans 12:2 exhorts, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
But why is it so hard for us to do this? Perhaps it’s simply a case of messed up priorities. We’ve lost an understanding of what really matters. When we no longer have time to sit for long, quiet minutes, immersed in God’s loving presence or that of our child or spouse, we are impoverished. If we no longer taste our food because we are in such a rush, if we’re are too hurried to stop and truly enjoy a flower garden, a brilliant rainbow or sunset, we’ve missed the point of life. When we never feel truly rested in body, mind, soul and spirit we are out of sync with our Creator.
But sometimes we feel driven to scurry and worry because we’ve put the approval of man above God’s. Rather than seeking His guidance, His perfect will for us daily, we have allowed our own agendas to take center place in our lives—and then wonder why our hearts feel so dry and lonely.
Perhaps there are places deep in our souls that we cannot or will not open to the love and light of our Father. Are we running from something? Inadequacy? A painful past or present? Guilt or regret? The busyness and stuff quell the issues for only a little while but then the hunger, the thirst, rear their ugly heads once again. Yet we only reach for more and more until we are like an out of control carousel; We spin faster and faster with no idea where we are headed or what we will do when we get there.
It is hard to hear that still, small Voice in the midst of the clatter of our lives and the warp speed of our schedules. Our souls are disconnected from a God who says that the greatest work we can do for Him is to believe on Jesus and the One Who sent Him. And our Lord is grieved and lonely for our company.
The antidote to hurry sickness comes from the Lord. When He shows us steps towards change, obedience is vital. Prayer, persistence and honesty, courage and accountability, are all necessary ingredients to freedom. You may need to sit down with your family and communicate your concerns, come up with a strategy together to help you all redefine priorities, redesign your schedules where possible. If the issues go much deeper, professional counseling may also be needed.
God wants us to have abundant life that cannot be fully realized or enjoyed while we are still embracing the plastic life of busyness rather than the clean, rarified air of “the unhurried rhythms of His grace.” He offers all who are weary and burdened to come to Him and He will give rest.
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