Busyness

“Busyness is next to godliness” – Most American Christians

I am a busy person. I fill my day with a lot of stuff. Some of it is important. I plan Bible studies and trips for the students in my youth group. I take time to meet and council people in my community. I try to make time for my wife. I do a lot of “good Christian things.” I even get paid some of them. At first glance one might be tempted to call me a godly man. I do all this stuff for God so I must be godly. People think, “He is busy, therefore he is godly.” I am not sure they are right.

I remember when I was in college how I loved to recite how busy I was. I would go through the list of all the good things I “just had to do.” I felt so godly and I think people thought I was. Truth be told I was so busy then and am still so busy now I have very little time for God himself. I do a lot for Him but I spend so little time knowing Him. I wonder how many “good Christians” get to heaven and say, “Look at all we did for you Lord!” only to hear God say, “Depart from me I never knew you.”

If we allow busyness to be our reward, that is all we will get. Sure we will get a lot of pats on the back and get “burnt out for Jesus” but will we ever know the one God we are working for. Do we really think that eternal rewards are dispensed on the basis of how little time we make for God? I think we do and it needs to stop.

I think we say “Faith without works is dead” far too often. We do a lot of works at the expense of knowing God. Biblically speaking knowing God is not facts and figures or even serving. It implies a much deeper, personal and time consuming connection. I wonder how many of us are willing to give up our measurable acts of service for a deeper and hidden understanding of Christ. It is going to be hard and it will take time but it will ultimately be the substance of true godliness that will last.

If we don’t have love…we are nothing.

Talk amongst yourselves