We had some people over last Sunday night. Old friends that we love a lot. We moved about three weeks ago, and we hit the ground running. We pulled into the house we are currently living in just before midnight and have slept on an air mattress for three weeks in sleeping bags, that’s how busy and crazy things have been. And it’s not just us, the people at our house last week have their share of stress caused by the pace of life in our current culture. It felt good to sit and relax and breathe. It did not hurt that the Blonde fixed strawberry shortcake. Is it just me or does strawberry shortcake with that whip cream stuff that makes noise when it comes out of the can say, “Summer?” I’m sorry I digress. I’m getting old and my mind drifts way too easily.
My point is we invite a lot of anxiety and stress into our lives as we over schedule and are too ambitious about what we can get accomplished in a single day. I had a pastor tell me about a million years ago, “Ken, you won’t please everybody so don’t even try and there are enough hours in the day for what YOU have to do.” I took that to mean that I can’t do everything, and I’m not even supposed to try and do everything.
I’ve been teaching at our church about Jonah. We should read the Book of Jonah at least once a year because we are Jonah in so many ways. Jonah invited the storm and the fish that swallowed him and then spit him up onto dry land into his life because he thought he was smarter than God. What I’m saying is he could have avoided being fish vomit if he would have chosen properly and went to Nineveh (God’s perfect will) in the first place.
How many of us choose poorly on a regular basis? How many of us choose sin, choose failure, choose disobedience and spend our lives living in God’s permissive will that is represented by Tarshish in this Old Testament book of the Bible?
Part of that sin is the sin of being too busy. We are trying to keep up with a secular culture when Scripture is clear, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world (Romans 12:2a).” Busyness is not a virtue, it’s an idol, a god that too many worship on a regular basis. Busyness is a god that creates stress, worry, pain and hardship. What’s the answer? Stop trying to fit more into your day than you can accomplish, leave some margin, leave room for God to work. Stop trying to get ahead by trying to do too much.
God is the one who has put boundaries on a day. He made the day, and the day has limited hours in it. Psalm 46:10 tells us, “Be still, and know that I am God.” Busyness serves as a distraction to being still and being sensitive to the Lord’s presence, His power and His plan. If you will be obedient to Psalm 46:10 it will change your life.
So, stop what you are doing, go to the store, get a cake mix, buy some strawberries and some of that noisy Cool Whip in a can and enjoy the rest of your day in the presence of the Lord.
He told me to tell you that.
“Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans” (Proverbs 16:3)
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