Am I Too Busy?

“You’ll eventually find yourself too busy.”

This was a comment I received from someone after I mentioned that I wanted to begin reading more.

My decision to do so was because I scarcely read anything before I started full-time ministry. I had read plenty for school, but nothing for personal growth or interest. And what I had read, I left unfinished.

One book in particular I started to read seven times. I even received several late fees from the local library after multiple extensions. I finally borrowed it from a student at my current church, and had it for over a year before I finally finished it.

Deciding to commit to read more has garnered overwhelming support from many people, my wife in particular. She almost doubled my library in one Christmas.

However, not everyone has embraced my new ambition.

Not because of hate or spite, but rather because of skepticism.

They may have been trying to be helpful and some of them were “just being real,” but in reality they were discouraging.

Being busy with life has made it difficult to read like I would like to, but I have made a lot of progress and even found a new favorite author.

Being busy is something we all hear quite often about everyone’s life, but I suspect that sometimes we hide behind “being busy.”

John Maxwell, a renowned leadership expert, is on record saying that “our calendar reflects our priorities and that [he] could spend one day with someone and know what they are all about.”

If we want to change something about our life we have to make time for it and prioritize it.

In Haggai, chapter 1 verse 9, it says, “You hoped for rich harvests, but they were poor. And when you brought your harvest home, I blew it away. Why? Because my house lies in ruins, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, while all of you are busy building your own fine houses.”

The Israelites were returning from exile and were beginning to rebuild their lives and their cities. They wanted God’s blessings on what they were doing, but they were ignoring God. Returning from exile was the biggest moment in the lives of these Israelites, yet the one thing they said they wanted was the one thing they were “too busy” for.

Inevitably, we will find ourselves “too busy” for something, but I encourage you to always keep God at the head of everything. At times, we may need to double check our calendars, schedules, and priorities to keep God in His proper place.

Anyway, I was just thinking…