Being busy is not the problem

I understand how life can get busy as different obligations creep in. I know there are seasons of busy-ness and that's OK. But here is something to think about.

People who say they are busy say sometimes that if they were less busy, they would have time to read the Bible. If they just weren't so busy, they'd have time for serving. If they didn't have such a crowded day, they'd have time for ministry. Being busy is sometimes the reason they do not meet with God or serve the kingdom.

I'll look at the issue in two ways, first, here is John MacArthur talking about giving. He isn't talking about being busy, but the concept is the same. If you had more money, you'd give more. If you had more time, you're do more. Here is JMac:

Some people say, "Well, if I just had more I’d give more." No, I’ve heard that. You always hear them say, "If I had $1 million I’d give it over here and I’d give…if I could just win the lottery. Oh man, if I could just win the lottery." The question is not what would you do with $1 million. The question is what are you doing with this $4.00 you've got in your pocket. What are you doing with the $10.00?  What are you doing with the $20.00 or the $60.00? That's the issue, because Ecclesiastes 5:10-11 says, "He who loves money will not be satisfied with money. When good things increase, those who consume them increase."  

Another way to say that is, the only advantage to money is to watch it slip through your fingers. The more you get, the more that goes. So it isn't a question of if you had more you'd give more. No, that's not the issue. Jesus said it this way, "He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much, and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much." Sermon, The Biblical View of Money

It isn't a question of if you had more you'd give more. I can attest to that. Confession time: sometimes I'm not busy at all and that's when I do the least for Jesus.

I work in education, which means I have extended time off during the summer break. This year our break is about 8 1/2 weeks. I work hard during the school year. Most school years I also work a second job in the After School Program, as I will be doing this year again. When I arrive home between 5:30-6:00pm, I begin my second shift of reading the Bible, writing, praying etc. Thursday nights are devoted to Bible Discussion Group, and of course, Sundays are for worship service with either Bible group or fellowship time afterward. Add the occasional social time with friends, school meetings, and must-do tasks (car oil change, doctor appointment,) and you have a pretty full schedule. I'm not crazy busy, but the school year has structured time that mostly fills my day from bedtime-to-bedtime.

All I can think about during the school year is how happy I will be during Summer when I have all this time to myself. "I'll read the Bible more...write more...research different topics...read theological books..." And I do. At the beginning. I get up early, do my spiritual tasks, spend the rest of the day productively for the Kingdom.

As summertime slides on, though, so does my schedule. I get up later, watch more movies, snuggle with the cats longer, take more naps. I spend less time doing things for the kingdom and more time just being comfortable for myself. There have been a few days when I sit here, the Bible within reach, and never have opened it once during the day once. If I had more time I'd do more? Not hardly. Sloth and laziness are built into us I think, and I soon fall victim to it. I have to work diligently during summer to ensure that I maintain my prayers, do my Bible readings, and complete my spiritual kingdom work when what I really want to do is watch Youtube videos of Kids Escaping Cribs or Funny Cats all day.

So I can attest that having more time does not mean that I'd do more. In fact, for me it's the opposite. When school starts in ten days I'll be grateful for the structure again. My work schedule really helps me keep track of my spiritual self.

Don't delude yourself into thinking it is because you're so crazy busy you have no time to read your Bible, pray, or serve. As John MacArthur said on the subject of giving, it's not about not having millions of dollars, it is about what are you doing with $4 in your pocket. Whether you have 24 hours to yourself or 20 minutes to spare, what are you doing with the time? If the issue regarding money isn't "Oh man, if I could just win the lottery", it's the same about time. It isn't about "Oh man, if I could just have all day to myself."

Here are a few resources on balancing work-busy with (summer)-lazy.

What does the Bible say about being too busy?

In our supersonic postmodern society, known for its busyness and its increasing ability to deliver instantaneously, we find ourselves hurried more than our ancestors ever could have imagined. We have come a long way from the horse-and-buggy days, and because of that, our twenty-four hours a day seem more and more restrictive. We never feel like we have enough time to accomplish everything we want or need to do, and the clock keeps ticking

Parents, don’t waste your lazy summer days

But is it really such a bad thing to have wide open spaces in our planners? Might this be the very thing we need in order to refocus our priorities and make the most of the short season of time we’re given with our children?

Tim Challies' book and course with a practical guide to productivity-

Do More Better

I wrote this short, fast-paced, practical guide to productivity to share what I have learned about getting things done in today’s digital world. It will help you learn to structure your life to do the most good to the glory of God.

Challies' book is also a course with the same title at Ligonier Connect.