Almost all of us feel “crazy busy,” to coin a phrase. I certainly feel that way all the time. I ask myself this question, “What do I do when I’m constantly feeling crazy busy?” We all talk about the priorities, the things we have to do and that come first, but you really don’t have priorities if you don’t have some things that you’re going to stop doing. So many of us, and I’m as guilty as anyone, just add and we never subtract. We are always saying “yes” to the next thing and “yes” to a new thing, but I have learned that we are all indispensable until we say “no”. With that, we need to see what the Bible’s priorities are.
Jesus knew he needed to withdraw to desolate places to pray. And so do we.I always think of Jesus in Mark 1. He is launching into public ministry at the beginning of the Gospel. He is up all night healing. He is a rousing success. The next morning when Peter goes to find him, asking, “Why aren’t you continuing to do all these good things?”, he finds Jesus off in a solitary place praying. This is the Lord Jesus. If anybody could have said, “I have a great walk with God. I am God. I am one with my Heavenly Father,” or if anyone could have justified his business by saying, “Look. Everything I do is successful,” it would be Jesus. Yet, Jesus knew he needed to withdraw to desolate places to pray. And so do we. I do; you do.
Think of the classic story of Mary and Martha. “Martha, Martha,” Jesus says, “you’re busy with many things.” A lot of us relate there with Martha. Somebody’s got to cook the meal or somebody has to clean the dishes. Mary is not doing anything, but Jesus says that Mary has chosen the good part or the better portion. She has chosen what is most needful and that is to sit at the feet of Jesus.
At the very heart of it, we need to embrace that there is one God and we are not him.Planners, willpower, strategies, and clean schemes are helpful and have a place, but it is all a matter of the heart. What is the root of my business? Am I a people pleaser? Am I proud? Am I trying to prove something to myself? My parents? The world? Why am I the way that I am? Why am I doing all of these things?
We must embrace our finitude and accept that the only one who gets his “to do” list done everyday is God. We need to embrace that we can’t be everywhere. We are not meant to be everywhere. We can’t do everything. That is what it means to be finite human beings. At the very heart of it, we need to embrace that there is one God and we are not him. The fear of the Lord is the beginning part of wisdom and, I think, the beginning and most necessary step to try to get some handle on our crazy busy lives.
