One of the challenging aspects of our current culture is that we are always on the go. Although I have not done a scientific poll, I think that the most common response to “how are you doing?” is “busy.” Calendars are replete with appointments and lives are consumed by to-dos and tasks. Rushing from one place to the next is characteristic of many individuals today.
Yet when we look at Scripture, we see men and women of God with great responsibility and yet they did not have the frenetic mindset that is reflected in us. I believe that this is because that they weren’t trying to do what God had given them in their own strength. Instead, they learned to cast their cares upon God, knowing that He fully cared for them (See Psalm 55:22 and I Peter 5:7). When we are mindful of the fact that God has not called us to do more today than what He has equipped us for, we can trust that if He wants us to do something, He has also provided what we need to get it done. This isn’t an excuse from hard work; instead it is a recognition that we work hard because we want to serve our God well, but we also trust that He will orchestrate the outcome. Our “busyness” then isn’t fret with anxiety and chaos; it is full of purpose. And it is in knowing that purpose – to glory God and make Him known – that we can accomplish what God has given us with fortitude and grace.
If you feel like your life is too busy ask yourself – “Am I doing something that God has not called me to do?” “Am I pursuing my own interests instead of His?”
If you can confidently answer that neither is the case, prayerfully consider whether you are fully relying on God’s provision and strength to excel in the stewardships He has given you. Because if He has called His follower to something, He will give them what is needed to use it for His glory and praise.
And if you are accomplishing that – if your tasks and responsibilities, your appointments and your relationships – are putting Christ on display – than you are not merely “busy” – you are busy with purpose.
