Crazy Busy

Does your life seem crazy busy these days? Maybe you wonder like I do “How did I get this way?  Why doesn’t there seem to be enough hours in the day? Why is it hard to slow down and really listen to people who need me? 

I supposed if you or I were in a support group to deal with our busyness, we would start by saying  “Hello, my name is _____________ and I have hurried sickness.”

No one wants to admit it. Few want to deal with it. Breaking free from hurried sickness isn’t easy. There’s just so much to get done!

Jesus knew busyness. Check out this passage in Mark 1:35-39 “And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. And Simon and those who were with him searched for him, and they found him and said to him, “Everyone is looking for you.” And he said to them, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.” And he went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons.”  The crowds wanted Jesus all the time! If He were here today, He’d probably have way more emails and calls than any of us.

Kevin Deyoung in “Crazy Busy” writes “Jesus knew the difference between urgent and important. He understood that all the good things hecould do were not necessarily the things he ought to do.” Just when everyone was waiting for his healing touch, he was out praying in a desolate place. Do you suppose that Jesus is modeling a way of dealing with busyness?’

It seems like Jesus knew His priorities. He didn’t get caught up in pleasing people, although He had compassion for people. His relationship with His Father drove His way of life. So, if Jesus needed this time with God, why wouldn’t we? Why do we avoid God in our life? Do we really think that we can do life without Him?

DeYoung writes “We hate being busy. But we may never hate it enough to change." How about you? Do you hate it enough to change?

Nancy Abbott is the Chaplain of the YMCA of Greater San Antonio.