Life is just so busy, and we all make it so much busier simply by trying to become successful. I have lost count of both the number of years and the number of times that I have spoken to friends and colleagues about the need to live a life of significance and value. I have waxed lyrical about the need to make every moment count, live every day as if it were our last and unless everything can be assessed according to S.M.A.R.T.[1] then there is something wrong with what we are doing. Let’s all be active, let’s all do something, let’s all make sure we are BUSY!
Over the years I have subscribed to podcasts and blogs from the likes of Michael Hyatt, Robin Sharma, John Maxwell and many other very successful leaders. At one point I even joined the 5am Club, I was doing everything to own my morning—the problem was that I am also bringing up a toddler who has an equal determination to own my nights!
In the end, I sat on the edge of my bed one morning, utterly exhausted, completely frustrated, and having missed our 6:30am CVM team prayer time for what was becoming a record number of weeks.
Now, let me put my foot on the brake pedal for one moment. I am not, for one minute, dissing any efforts that any of us make to become more significant, and I am certainly all for redeeming every minute of our time. But, I am calling out an unintended consequence that we all need to be very aware of, and that is sometimes we simply become busy fools and any significance we may achieve simply gets flooded in a sea of busyness and exhaustion.
Let me pose this question: What would our significance look like, if we all took a big step back from the coal face and asked God where we needed to use our pick axe next?
Hear me out for a moment! This is exactly what Jesus did everyday of his life:
“Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” Mark 1:35
Why not go to the first chapter of Marks gospel right now and read how busy Jesus was. Despite this, he still stopped and prayed. Elsewhere he said clearly that he would not do anything unless it came under direct instruction from God the Father.
The life that Jesus offers us has the most incredible future for each of us, an eternity in the Kingdom with all the saints from the past, present and the future. We get that, and we yearn for it but maybe we are just missing the promise that Jesus makes now, that his yoke is easy, and his burden is light! I am properly up for being a fool for the Gospel, but I am not so up for spending my life simply as a busy fool!
But this is all well and good—how do any of us change our approach to life?
Well I was recently reading The Message with a good friend of mine and God reminded me of his promise to teach us the Rhythms of Grace. So, let’s renounce the rat race, the hamster wheel or whatever else you want to call it, and let’s accept this following invitation to live the life that God has always wanted us all to live:
““Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” Matthew 11:28-30
My gut feeling is that from a Kingdom perspective we will all achieve way more in this life if we keep coming back to this invitation!
[1] Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, & Timely
© https://www.flickr.com Permission given to use Image
