Peace in the Midst of a Busy Life

At the peak of the VBS busyness—for those who serve and for all others praying for this ministry—in the midst of jobs, studies, family plans, church events, health issues, housing concerns, car repairs, attempts to exercise and stay healthy, maintaining relationships with relatives and friends, striving to evangelize, show hospitality, visiting people, shopping, cooking, cleaning, making phone calls, filling out forms, and both active and not-so-active rest—we sometimes ask a simple philosophical question: How do we not go crazy from all this busyness?

The answer usually falls into two directions. The first: just cut out what you can; reduce the overload; lighten your schedules; rest more. The second: pray and read the Bible, and everything will pass—as if it were some magical charm protecting you from the “evil eye” of overload. Neither of these approaches is biblical. Even though the second uses biblical terms, disciplines, and steps.

I recently read Kevin DeYoung’s book Crazy Busy, and I’ll be using some insights from it in this article.

Let’s begin with this: people don’t always realize they are overloaded. One simple test is this: can you focus on one task for a significant amount of time without getting distracted? A busy person is scattered and occupied with things other than what’s right in front of them. Additionally, a busy person loses joy! Yes—joy! Our life should be filled with joy (Phil. 4:4), taste like joy (Gal. 5:22), and be saturated with joy (John 15:11).

When we begin to analyze the causes of our busyness, it’s often, though not always, linked to pride. We tend to overestimate our own importance, thinking, if I don’t do it, no one will, or at least, not as well. After all, aren’t we professionals at everything? In this mindset, parents do everything themselves, and children grow up unable to do anything or make decisions. Pride shows up as people-pleasing, the desire to prove ourselves, perfectionism, self-pity, etc. But the most dangerous roof is that often the main driver behind our busyness is self-righteousness.

Sometimes, overload comes from a lack of wisdom and discernment. For example, some see every opportunity for ministry or business as a duty. Like those giant sales—we don’t need the thing, but the discount convinced us to buy something. Likewise, we overload our schedules with good opportunities, treating them like obligations. But they are not. No one forced us to say yes to every good thing. We must remember: we are not the Messiah!

So, what should we do? Here are a few practical tips, followed by one key defining principle. Firstly, organize, and maintain a list of priorities. For example, we can generate income, but we cannot generate time. Therefore, time is more valuable. Prioritize previous commitments over current opportunities. It’s a weakness to be driven by whatever seems most urgent instead of honoring long-term commitments. Be able to say no – even to good things – if they are not most important things. Otherwise, we become slaves of good things and miss out on the best. Recognize that other have the right to set their own priorities. This means we might not be at the top of someone else’s list—and that’s ok. In your schedule—monthly, weekly, and daily—leave space for the unexpected or unplanned: people, evangelism opportunities, unanticipated needs.

Let’s take parenting as an example. This area of Christian life often causes overload. According to DeYoung, parenting used to be simple: feed kids, clothe them, teach them Jesus, and keep them away from explosives. Today, a long list of activities and clubs structure family life around the child, instead of around shared family values. As a result, parents constantly chase the whims of little “royalties,” which frustrates both the parents and the children. But in parenting, what matters most is not what you do with your kids—it’s who you are. That, along with a few biblical truths, will shape your children more that any program.

One wise father once said: “When I was young, I had six theories on parenting and no children. Now I have six children and no theories.” Funny, but true.

What about simple rest? Sometimes we even boast to each other about how little we sleep. Honestly—I’ve caught myself doing this! Sad. True. Totally wrong. If the earth doesn’t rest periodically, it stops producing fruit. Rest is an act of trust in God—that while we are not working, the universe won’t collapse. We can and should work to the glory of God—and rest to His glory as well! Isn’t that refreshing?

By the end of the book, I was reminded again that busyness is not necessarily bad. In fact, God desires that we be active, not idle. And real acts of love are rarely efficient in terms of time or resources, yet we don’t complain. Why? Because of love! Maybe we just don’t bring enough love into what we do?

How wonderful that the book ends with the most important point! From the story of Mary and Martha, we draw this key conclusion: the most important thing in life is a close relationship with God through being in the Word and in prayer. We must truly value this: that even if we lose everything, but grow closer to God, we have gained everything. That’ what I sincerely wish for you with all my heart.

What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? ² By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? ³ Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? ⁴ We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

⁵ For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. ⁶ We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. ⁷ For one who has died has been set free from sin. ⁸ Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. ⁹ We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. ¹⁰ For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. ¹¹ So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.