Being Busy or Being Beneficial
Recently I was with some friends and we were talking about all the things we can get involved in that cause us to be busy. We were discussing how some busyness is good, but other things are little more than fancy distractions. I have known people who always seem to be busy but often have very little to show for it. It’s not that they are busy doing bad things, but in the long run are they truly beneficial?
Sometimes we can wear ourselves out with our busyness thinking we are doing great things but not really having an impact. When we do this we often find ourselves burned out, or we notice a loss of joy in our lives. As people living in the hustle and bustle of today’s society—where everything must move at a lightning fast pace—we often feel the pressure to stay busy.
So often we associate busyness with ambition or being successful. But, does God expect us to work at being busy every hour of the day? Let’s see what the Word has to say about that.
Romans 12:2 says, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
If we want to know God’s will, we can’t allow this world to dictate whether or not we are busy day and night. We must not conform to the pattern of this world. It’s hard to renew your mind if you are overwhelmed with busyness. We need to slow down, quiet ourselves and seek God’s perfect will.
The problem is, as Christians we often tend to believe all busyness for God is totally acceptable. I know from my own personal experience that I can easily become busy working at doing godly things, but they might not be things that God has asked me to do. If we are not careful, we can overload our plates with good things, but not beneficial things.
For instance, at one point I felt it would be beneficial to start a women’s group in my church that would meet on a monthly basis to study God’s Word. How could that not be beneficial? I felt like I needed to be doing more in my extra time. The problem was that was not what God wanted me to be busy with.
The ladies in my church were already saved and on their way to heaven. God’s plan for me has always been to reach the lost. He called me to be an evangelist. It might have been a good thing to have an organized Bible study. But for me it was a form of busyness that distracted me from doing what God had called me to do first and foremost—rescue the lost.
When I removed that item from my plate and refocused on God’s perfect will for my life, I became a much happier and contented person. It’s not that I’m not busy now, but the things that keep me busy now bring peace, joy, and also benefit the Kingdom of God.
It’s not that there is anything wrong with being busy doing things we enjoy like planning and hosting programs, conferences, Bible studies, and secular activities. But if we are becoming too busy with distractions that serve only to benefit ourselves or magnify our own personal image, maybe we should take some time to renew our minds.
What is God’s good, pleasing and perfect will for your life?
