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As I shared last week, there seems to be one common denominator within almost all of our lives…the suffocating presence of busyness. In my previous article I provided some interesting facts regarding the “rat race” which summarizes many of our lives; following are the remainder of these facts which are found in Kevin DeYoung’s book, Crazy Busy. As you read these excerpts, ponder upon what these statements reveal about your schedule.
We believe the lie that we need more time. The supply of time is totally inelastic. No matter how high the demand, the supply will not go up. There is no price for it and no marginal utility curve for it. Moreover, time is totally perishable and cannot be stored. Time is, therefore, always in exceedingly short supply.
We cannot multitask. The brain can’t put forth effort in two mental processes at the same time. We may think we are multi-tasking, but we are actually switch-tasking.
We’re stressing out our kids. Secondhand stress is a big problem for kids. Researcher Ellen Galinsky interviewed more than 1,000 kids in grades 3-12 and asked them, “If you were granted one wish to change the way that your mother’s/father’s work affects your life, what would that wish be?” Kids’ answers were striking. Instead of wishing for more face time with their parents, they wished that their parents would simply be less stressed out.
We’re not getting enough sleep. More than one-third of all working adults get fewer than 6 hours of sleep a night—that’s over 40 million people with sleep deprivation! Also, the average American gets 2.5 fewer hours of sleep per night than they did a century ago.
Busyness has become an epidemic! Yet, regardless of the physically, emotionally, and spiritually negative toll upon our lives, many of us pride ourselves (and brag to others) about this very activity. Interestingly, a study of the Scriptures reveals that the deceptiveness of this sin is not a new one. In Luke 10:38-42 we find a story about two of Christ’s most devoted followers, Mary and Martha. With Jesus making a visit to their home, we discover that each of these sisters took very different actions in their “service” for the Lord. Martha made herself very busy about the task of preparations, while Mary spent time listening to Jesus’ teachings. Martha’s frustration over what she considered to be Mary’s lack of work (and Jesus’ lack of concern over the matter) brought about Jesus’ rebuke. It seems as though Jesus was not condemning Martha’s busy activity, but rather her attitude, pride, and choice to ignore the more important matter of spending time with the Lord.
Why do we so passionately pursue busyness? This excerpt from a New York Times article seemingly captures the answer.
Busyness serves as a kind of … hedge against emptiness; obviously your life cannot possibly be silly or trivial or meaningless if you are so busy, completely booked, in demand every hour of the day …. [We're] busy because of [our] own ambition or drive or anxiety, because [we're] addicted to busyness and dread what [we] might have to face in its absence.
Like Martha, we need to come to understand that the essence of our existence is not defined in how much we do, but rather in who we are…or better described…in how much we are loved. The God of all of our work calls us to rest in the perfect love of His Son. Perhaps we should become busier with the task of knowing our Lord.
Striving for less busyness and more holiness,
Jason