Too Busy

The cartoon showed a man carrying a sign.  Holding the sign high in the air, his message was for all to see, "Jesus is coming soon.....look busy." We can chuckle with the crowd at that sign. Who among us would want to have the Lord's return happen at a time when we were idle?  But there is more we should probably understand about being busy. 

One time Jesus was traveling with his disciples and came into a village and were welcomed into the home of a woman named Martha. She had a sister, Mary, who seated herself at Jesus' feet and listened to him teach. Martha busied herself with serving her guests, even to the point of complaining that Mary wasn't helping her.  Jesus was quick to point out that Martha was anxious and troubled about "things'" but Mary had made the right decision in hearing Jesus' teachings. 

Martha gets the blue ribbon for hospitality, Mary gets served a message from Jesus that will never be taken away. One was concentrating on things, the other was soaking up the lessons of life. 

We all know how important it is for us to stay busy. Our work can be demanding, the responsibility to generate income for the family creates pressure, and even our school assignments occupy a major portion of our time. We are a part of the generation which possesses the greatest number of time-saving devices, but we are often too busy for things which really count. 

No doubt, if Jesus were to come to our house, one of the first things he would be offered would be refreshments.  We cannot fault Martha for her hospitality, but Jesus detects she is more concerned with her guests seeing how hard she is working, and she has robbed herself of the blessing of the presence of Jesus.  That brings the question for each of us, "Do we ever find the time to "enjoy" the presence of Jesus? Are we too busy?

It should not come as news to you in your Christian life, spending time in the Word, in prayer, and actually experiencing the fellowship with God strengthens our relationship with him and makes us stronger for our spiritual journey.  Life will bring us struggles and challenges, and the maturity we receive through spending quality time with God will help us handle whatever comes our way. 

When someone calls with a request which demands our time and possibly effort, we are often tempted to respond by letting them know how busy we are, and perhaps we can help them another time.  What about when God calls on us to love him, serve him, worship him, or to be his person to accomplish his work?  Are we too busy?

"Father, we thank you for your love and your desire to be among us, with us, and in us.  Teach us daily the importance of making our lives a welcome place for your presence. Amen."

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