Too Busy

Time—there is never enough of it. I am always running out of time to finish a project, to visit a friend, or to clean the house. Too often my projects are either uncompleted or are completed much later than I had planned. Friend visits are too often sandwiched between other appointments or done as we work on a church project. The house—well a “lick and a swipe” cleaning has become the norm. Life is definitely not dull, slow, or boring.

God has given us tasks, and we are to be productive. But is this busyness His way? He instructs us to work.

“He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need.” Ephesians 4:28 NIV

However, this does not mean that time is not going to be an issue. The question is if we use the time rightly. During Christ’s crucifixion, time was an obstacle for the Jewish leaders. They succumbed to time pressures and continued in their sinful ways rather than recognize their errors.

“Now it was the day of Preparation, and the next day was to be a special Sabbath. Because the Jews did not want the bodies left on the crosses during the Sabbath, they asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken down.” John 19:31 NIV

The Jewish leaders wanted Jesus dead and off the cross so they could celebrate the Passover feast. How blind they were to the prophecies in Scripture! They were too busy with earthly things—feasts, preparations, rituals, social pressures—to see that Jesus was the Son of God and was freely giving His life so they could live eternally. They were too busy and missed salvation.

So, we are to balance our time commitments between work and seeking God. The Jewish leaders were activity driven and missed God. Are our work and activities encroaching on the time we should be praying and seeking God’s will?

Lord, through the power of the Holy Spirit, give me the wisdom to know what to do, when to do it, and when to say “no.”