People often say to me “You must be so busy!” It’s easy to understand why they might think so, but the truth is, I’m not busy. My life is full, but it’s truly not busy. Busyness is not next to Godliness; in fact, if you ask me, it’s becoming an epidemic. Living in a constant state of chaos is becoming the norm in our culture today. I have many friends who map out their days down to the minutes. This lifestyle of rushing about leaves little time for any kind of rest, and almost no time for maintaining a meaningful relationship with God.
I think for some people, busyness is equated with importance. Let me tell you right now, an overflowing calendar does not (and will never) determine your worth! I know I’m important and loved because I’m a child of God. If I never left the house or accomplished anything ever again, would that fact change? Of course not!
If you know me, you know I don’t plan anything after 8 PM – I need my sleep, and my whole household pays the price if I don’t get it! I try to carefully curate my schedule so that I rarely have more than one event in a day. We never have multiple extracurriculars on the same day. It might work for some people, but it just doesn’t work for me. When I’m rushing my kids out the door, I’m not being the best version of myself. I also refuse to eat “on the go” – if there’s not time to sit down for a meal, we’re doing too much.
Leaving blank space on my calendar each day allows me to be more productive, and it actually allows me to say “yes” to more things that matter. I never want to be perceived as “too busy” to help a friend in need. If someone calls me for a favor, I pray that I never seem inconvenienced. I want my tribe of people to know that they are never a burden, because I have set aside time each and every day for the little things (or the big ones).
So, are you willing to join me in abandoning this epidemic of “busyness”? Let’s prioritize our calendars in 2020 and make room for the things that really matter. Set aside some time each day to reflect, pray, and just be still. Be productive, but don’t be busy – it’s really no way to live!
