Taking On The Struggle to Eliminate “Busy” In Our Lives
Sept 6th, 2024.
“Busy.”
Ask most of the guys you know how their week is going, and that’s the answer you’ll get.
It’s an all too common response that many of us wear like a badge of honor. So many things that need to get done, to-do lists that stretch on forever, and the feeling of getting pulled in multiple directions at once. Men are trying to show up well at work, be good husbands and fathers, stay checked in on their older parents and extended family, serve in their churches and communities, and grow their relationship with the Lord.
All good things… but you can’t do everything.
Therein lies the problem for most men, myself included.
In his book Intimacy with the Almighty, Charles Swindoll captures it like this. “Most of us say yes to too many things. Most of us do not plan well enough ahead or think through our schedules to leave time for leisure and rest. Most of us have too many things on our plate to get done in the allotted time.”
Sound familiar?
As I explored this chapter on simplicity, Swindoll must have been hanging out in my office and my home before he wrote this. Those words capture how I’ve lived much of my life. Simplicity has never been my natural state. I’ve kept myself busy, always convinced I was doing “good things.”
Swindoll goes on, asking the following questions:
- Are the good things keeping you from the great?
- Are too many things draining your energy, leaving you exhausted?
- Are the activities outside your home stealing time from those within your home?
“Yes, yes, and yes.” Each question reminds us that “busy” comes at a cost.
The greatest cost for me personally has been my relationship with God. When things get busy, my morning quiet time with the Lord is the first thing to go. I find myself lacking time to pray and get quiet to listen to what God has for me. In essence, I am shutting God out.
Busy becomes an idol. My need to be busy reflects my struggle to control my outcomes and “make things happen.” Simplicity, on the other hand, makes room for God to come in. It’s me releasing my control and letting God partner with me.
When I do this, my answers to Swindoll’s questions change...
- I am experiencing God’s best, what is truly great, not just good.
- I am living my life on purpose, energized by the right things.
- I am focusing my energy on those within my home first.
More importantly, I am taking back my time and energy to spend it with God. Making quiet time and prayer a priority, my relationship with God begins growing again. When I listen, I can hear Him speaking to me. Wisdom flows, and I experience more clarity around what is truly important instead of the “busy” things that so easily distract me.
Intimacy with the Almighty begins with creating space for simplicity in your life. That’s my call to each of us today. Spend some time looking around and doing a personal assessment. Where is “busy” stealing from you, and how can you start to take some of that time and energy back?
John Gamades, Author of WAR: A Tactical Guide for Christian Men