Busyness: the eighth deadly sin

By Jessica Brodie

I’m guilty: Some days I just rush through, barely taking time to look around me. I’ll marvel at the sunrise, but it’s not while I’m casually sitting outside gazing at God’s creation; it’s during my commute. I tell my family and friends I love them and bask in our relationship, but I have to admit it’s often while I’m doing other things. Usually, I don’t sit down until I’m ready to go to bed. My new Apple Watch keeps reminding me to breathe. And “relax”? Let’s just say it’s not a skill I’ve mastered.

I know it’s the nature of most working parents, and probably the nature of our society, but sometimes I get so caught up in the rush of the day, and I miss out on golden opportunities to be God’s hands and feet.

This needs to change.

Granted, I do pray every day to be His instrument. It’s on my mind. It’s not just a fleeting thought but something I actively think and pray about throughout the day. I’m willing to serve. I want to serve.

But it’s not enough. I’ve realized lately that it’s not an unwillingness on my part to serve or do that gets in the way of this. By allowing the busyness of life to take over my day, I’m allowing all of THAT, not my Creator, to rule my life.

Again, that has to change. Being “too busy” is its own idol, even if an unintentional one.

Yesterday, God gave me an epiphany when He nudged me to do a random act of kindness. After, as I drove away, He hit me with this nugget of wisdom: Just thinking and intending and wishing to be His instrument isn’t enough. It’s on ME. It’s a choice. I need to proactively take some new measures. I need to carve out a little breathing room throughout my day, give myself a little extra time in every single thing that I do.

That time is not for me. Nope, that time is for God to be able to use me for whatever it is He needs.

If you, like me, are guilty of being “too busy,” please... realize that it’s never going to magically go away on its own. It’s something that you need to take real steps to change.

I encourage you to open your mind and heart to the notion of allowing a little extra space in your day to notice God’s beauty and praise God ... and to allow God to nudge you toward certain opportunities, whether that’s helping an old lady with her groceries or being an ear to the stranger behind you at the grocery store.

How can we be God’s instrument, God’s earthly angel, God’s word and messenger, if we don’t make time, if we are so focused on our own priorities that we miss out on God’s priorities?

Choose God and love. That’s winning.