Busy Christianity

If you're like me, you say "yes" or "ok" a lot to people who ask you for things. Perhaps, also like me, you like to have control over every aspect of your inner circles - whether that be your job, your family, your ministry, etc. Did you know that saying "yes" all the time can actually end up being a sin?

When you reluctantly say "yes" to a request that you could probably care less about, but feel like you should care about, or something that someone absolutely "can't live without you" on, you are saying "no" to so many other things. It's true. You say no to your family time, your personal time, maybe even your God time. I've pushed these things aside more than I ever would like to confess because of the heart-wrenching "please do this for me".

A quote that I came across hit me so hard, it practically knocked the wind out of me because of the blatant truth it stated:

It was after I read this quote, that I realized God never wanted us to sign up to do all of these "good things" for Him. While those things are wonderful and we are asked to be servants for Him, a relationship with Him is the best place to be. When you don't even have the time to talk to Him and listen to Him, that isn't much of a relationship. We are to serve in the places He calls us to serve, and that is it. And that is ok.

I always feel so guilted into things. Working in a church makes it easy for that to happen on a daily basis. I bring work home. I do work in the morning before going to work. Come home from work, throw dinner in the oven, chomp it down before heading off to another meeting or group. Come home from said meeting or group, put Lucy to bed, or come home after she's already been put to bed, then drag myself to bed while trying to turn my brain off for the day, only to get up and repeat the process.
Sunday mornings are worse.  I go to more meetings on a Sunday and get asked more things than one person can ever take on than any other day of the week. Perhaps I'm over-stepping my bounds, but that is the reality of life. Why is that ok?

The question I have is "how did it get this way?" Why did it become the "norm" to be so busy? I've had so many people tell me "that's life". Why? Why does that have to be life? Sure, I brought many things upon myself, saying "yes" to everyone because it was "important" or because "it's my job". But every meeting you attend will be "important" to someone. What we are missing is what is ultimately important - a relationship with Jesus.

Yes, we are trying to win a community and a world over for Him, but when people look at us being busy, overwhelmed workers, who will ever want to jump on that band wagon? I see it as the oxygen mask on the air plane. If you aren't building up your relationship in Christ by being in the Word daily and praying to Him daily, how in the world will you lead others to Him? What kind of example is that?

So next time you are tempted to say "yes", consider all that you say "no" to.