"Be still,

and know

that I am God”

(Psalm 46:10)

Beware of the Barrenness of a Busy Life.

Take a moment and read the above sentence one more time.  This incredible thought, often attributed to Socrates is powerful and scary.  Beware of the Barrenness of a Busy Life!

Busyness is and can be a good thing.  Don’t get confused here, but the opposite of being busy is laziness – and the Bible wholeheartedly holds laziness as something repulsive and destructive. God calls us to be a people that are faithful and diligent.

Proverbs 12:27 - The lazy man does not roast what he took in hunting,  But diligence is man’s precious possession.

Proverbs 15:19 -  The way of the lazy man is like a hedge of thorns, but the way of the upright is a highway.

Busyness can choke out our souls.   There is a busyness that becomes destructive to our souls.   There is a busyness that is so busy doing so many things….that it loses being what God has us to be with Him.  Doing…instead of being.  

Busyness that becomes bad is seen clearly in Mary and Martha.  Consider this famous account in Luke 10:38-42 for a few moments.   Do your best to picture this in your mind.

Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. But Martha was distracted with much serving,

Are you picturing it?  There is Jesus in their home.   Martha is very busy running around trying to take care of everything.   I find myself imagining what would be going through Martha’s mind as she thought of all the things that she feels needs to be done.

Mary is not busy with Martha – she is sitting at Jesus feet and simply soaking up everything He is saying.   She is listening, pondering, and thinking about what Jesus has for her.  Can you see it?

and she [Martha] approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.”

What amazes me…and scares me is that Martha thinks she is right to be so busy.  She thinks Mary is wasting time, or resting when she should be working.   Again…please pause – if you were Martha, what kind of things would you be thinking about as you saw Mary just sitting at Jesus feet while you feel so busy and the pressure of the busyness that seems so important?

And Jesus answered and said to her,  “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”

Wow.  I have read these verses so many times over the years…yet I am always amazed by them.  Jesus is tender and caring with Martha – but He holds up what Mary is doing as the right way to live.  Mary has figured out how to escape the “barrenness of a busy life”.

Notice four closing keys in this exhortation of Jesus.

Martha’s busyness was distracting.  Jesus explains to Martha that her busyness was causing her to miss the best things.

Mary chose the best part.  To escape the bareness of a busy life will have to be a choice in you and me.

Jesus commended Mary’s choice.  Others did not, Martha did not.  Yet which would you rather – Jesus pleasure or Martha’s?

Jesus protected Mary’s choice.   He would not let what she chose to be taken from her…He protected her.  Wow.

Today… beware of the barrenness of a busy life.  

Choose that good part of life that does take time to “be still and know He is God”

Jim