We’re all too busy!
Ξ October 17th, 2006 | → 3 Comments | ∇ Theology, That's Life, Journal |
At my church, Holy Trinity, we have begun a program called the 40 Days of Purpose which is a series of devotional readings and small grouping that are spread over 40 days. The text book is the Bible and Rick Warren’s The Purpose Drive Life.
I’m not one for programs usually. I find the way they package up God to be kind of contrived. I find them kind of like the McDonalds principal of making things consistent and making sure everyone’s experience of a program is equally as life-changing as it was for the very first person. We often us business and makreting pricipals in our understanding of our Christian life and evangelism. A scary thought if you look at it. Shouldn’t it be the other way round. Shouldn’t Christians use their Christianity to affect change in their business and marketting practices rather than our business skills shaping our churches?
Anyways, thats not really the point I was after tonight. I found this very interesting quote that really jumped off the page at me today when I was reading.
“It is impossible to do everything people want you to do. You have just enough time to do God’s will. If you can’t get it all done, it means you’re trying to do more that God intended for you to do (or, possibly, that you’re watching too much television).” Rick Warren - The Purpose Driven Life p. 31
Doesn’t this just leave you wondering what the things are in our lives that we are desperately trying to cram into our lives that God just never intended for you to spend your time on? I’m one of the few people who actually work for a church, and I’m absolutely crazy busy almost all the time. I know I’m over doing it. I know I’m in for issues later in life if I can’t manage my time better and figure out how to do less. As a guy who tries to do just about everything I do at work as a ministry, I realize that though the things I do may LOOK Godly and necessary, if I’m too busy, then it follows that there are many tasks I take on that go against what God has intended for me. For me this could be serving on City prayer events and that kind of thing. The point is that in order for me to regulate my life, I not only have to get rid of the bad stuff that I waste time on, I also have to find the good stuff that God just never intended for me to do.
Once I identify those things, I need to walk away from them and trust that God will call someone else to them, unless He never wanted those jobs done at all. Sounds like submission and giving away control, doesn’t it. Ick. Who wants to do that?