I’ve had a really busy few weeks. You know, the sort where you need at least 30 hours in a day to get everything done that needs doing. What has dawned on me amongst all of this busyness is that I am going through a phase that used to be what my everyday life was like.
I used to thrive on busyness and getting lots done. Eighteen years ago I became the Minister of Grove Free Evangelical Church in Oxfordshire and a few weeks after I had started one of the members commented on how much I had done. She said that she was amazed at how many people I had been to visit in such a short period of time. I remember that moment still today and I remember the pride that I felt in all that I had accomplished.
A few years later and my pace hadn’t slowed much. The church had grown considerably and I often felt like I had to run through life in order to keep up with the pace that I had set. My leadership team sent me on a retreat (like a spiritual MOT) because I think that they could see how worn out that I was in a way that I could not.
The time at that retreat changed my attitude and perspective on life and here I am many years later much less frantic and much less driven.
As I have lived these past few weeks of busyness, I have achieved a lot but I have also worn myself out. This used to be my normal life and I am not going back.
The Bible uses the metaphor of a race for life, but it seems to me that God is calling us to go the distance. If you try to sprint through a marathon then you are going to be constantly worn out, you will not be well and you will never finish.
If you want to read more about what the Bible says about rest and how God changed me then click here.
I have discovered that my value comes from God and not from what I do. I don’t do God’s work to gain his approval or to impress other people. I do God’s work because he first loved me.
Incidentally, doing God’s work involves looking after yourself and resting properly.
God has changed me and for that I give thanks.
Ironically, when we are less busy we can actually be more productive.
Busy people fill their time with anything but smart people leave space to do what is important rather than just trying to do everything.
Honest about my faith 