When was the last time you asked someone how they were doing and they didn’t reply with something like, “busy, I have been crazy busy”? Busy is the norm, overly busy is the regular rhythm of life, it is how our culture operates. Many even think there is something wrong with us if we are not busy doing…. something.
Recently I preached a sermon on our “busy” culture. You can listen to that sermon: Here. This post is my attempt to finish that sermon and provide some practical strategies to help us with our busy lives.
Strategies For Busyness:
- Own It! We must begin by owning our busyness rather than denying it or simply caving to it.
- Be honest. Why is it that nobody wants to admit that there are things that we do that are time wasters? Don’t check your brains at the digital door, get brutally honest with these time wasters.
- Evaluate the fruit. Ask: What is this activity producing in me? How is it glorifying God? What will be the benefit to my life if I continue doing this activity for the next 5-10 years?
- Get Practical. Provide barriers and time limits. Make a phone call, write a letter
rather than pounding out another meaningless quick text. Read a book and put away the cell phone and all its distractions. Recently, my wife and I traveled to Waco Texas to make a visit to Magnolia Farms. We went to Chip and Jo’s restaurant the Magnolia Table. I was thrilled to see leather pockets next to every table. The pockets are for cell phones. The vision is to create a table where people actually engage each other. Get practical! (See picture above and check out the brown leather pockets on the wall) - Get Specific. Identify the things tend to be time killers for you. What things distract you from what you should be doing, whether that be work, play, or rest.
- Keep the mission in front of you. Knowing the mission we are called to helps us to not fill our days with endless lesser important things. Prayerfully ask the Lord, what is He calling you to do today and ask for His help to push aside the things you are not called to.
- Keep in mind. People are the mission AND people can tend to distract you from the mission. Seek to live life with enough empty space of time to be available to people. They are the mission! But, keep in mind that some people just want to soak up all your time and if you are not careful they can keep you from the mission. It is a tightrope to walk, but pray and ask God to help you discern the two.
- Know God. Know that it is God that created you and me with limits, time limits. He gives us a limited amount of time and we are then called to steward that time in ways that honor him, the Lord of time. Ultimately, our time belongs to him. Ask: Is this activity a good use of the limited amount of time God has given me?
- Don’t create a new legalism. The goal of all this is not some new legalism that seeks to gain God’s approval. Rather, find joy and contentment even in the busy moments of life.
- Recognize time is universal. Time is irreplaceable. Once it is gone, it’s gone. Everything you do will require time. You can not trade it, return it or get more of it. Each of us gets the same amount of it as the next person. Some, however, use their time more wisely and that is where we can all grow.
Recommended Resources
Crazy Busy
A mercifully short book about a really big problem
By Kevin DeYoung
Addicted to Busy
Recovery for the Rushed Soul
By Brady Boyd
Do More Better
A Practical Guide To Productivity
Tim Challies
The Busy Christian’s Guide To Busyness
Tim Chester
What’s Best Next
How The Gospel Transforms The Way You Get Things Done
Matt Perman
Tim…I have read Chip and Joanne’s books…both are excellent….Chip’s was very inspiring..Joanne’s just fun to read..
Kim read Joanna’s and I read Chip’s – we both loved reading them!
This is priceless instruction!
Thanks! But, it’s free and…. your a bit biased too :-)