Busyness!
Have you ever felt over-whelmed by what you "had" to get done? Too many appointments and stuff on the calendar? That seems to be more and more the norm for our society, especially my students! Trying to keep up with them is a non-stop riot of insanity most of the time. Going from dawn to dusk in a constant whirl of busyness. 7 days a week often, going from school to sports practices to instrument lessons to church to homework to whatever other activities that have in their lives. I would be tempted to ask where they learned this behavior, but all I need to do is look at myself! I run from home to work to working at home to trying to play with my kids to chores to the little bit of personal time that we have to reading the book I'm reviewing until the clock reads WAY past my bedtime!
Compare that to God's ideas: "For six days you should work, but on the seventh day you MUST rest." Hmmm...
Add to that when God actually speaks (not all the references, as my students who attend Deeper could tell you God has spoken in thunder, fire, earthquakes and lightning causing the people of Israel to need to change their man dresses and request that He not talk to them again!):
Samuel- at night in a quiet voice (1 Samuel 3)
Elijah- in the "breath" of silence (1 Kings 19)
The Psalms advise us to, "Be still and know that He is God." Is there any place in our lives for that? Or have we precluded God from our lives because of all the things we do (not saying that all we do isn't worthwhile, just thinking priorities here!)? I say all this because I looked at when I last posted and realized I had made my devotional life a casualty to my busyness and preferences (I like to sleep in a bit!). If I am the one falling behind and not keeping afloat, what does that say to my students? What does it say about me?
Simply put it says I have been busy about the work of God and not present with God. Mary and Martha were a good comparison study in that they did what so many of us do: we are busy trying to get things done, not spend time with our God! Unfortunately, I am one who has been focused on the things I need to "get done" not on spending time with the one who needs to be the focus, not the stuff.
So, take some time, pause, and listen to/for God today. See what He has to say as we take the time to actually listen...
Compare that to God's ideas: "For six days you should work, but on the seventh day you MUST rest." Hmmm...
Add to that when God actually speaks (not all the references, as my students who attend Deeper could tell you God has spoken in thunder, fire, earthquakes and lightning causing the people of Israel to need to change their man dresses and request that He not talk to them again!):
Samuel- at night in a quiet voice (1 Samuel 3)
Elijah- in the "breath" of silence (1 Kings 19)
The Psalms advise us to, "Be still and know that He is God." Is there any place in our lives for that? Or have we precluded God from our lives because of all the things we do (not saying that all we do isn't worthwhile, just thinking priorities here!)? I say all this because I looked at when I last posted and realized I had made my devotional life a casualty to my busyness and preferences (I like to sleep in a bit!). If I am the one falling behind and not keeping afloat, what does that say to my students? What does it say about me?
Simply put it says I have been busy about the work of God and not present with God. Mary and Martha were a good comparison study in that they did what so many of us do: we are busy trying to get things done, not spend time with our God! Unfortunately, I am one who has been focused on the things I need to "get done" not on spending time with the one who needs to be the focus, not the stuff.
So, take some time, pause, and listen to/for God today. See what He has to say as we take the time to actually listen...
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