Spring is Beautiful... But it's Busy

Busyness impedes our purpose. In the busyness of spring's beauty and activity, I'm reminded of the story of Martha and Mary.

Jesus said to Martha, "You are worried and upset about many things..." (Luke 10:41). If you remember, Mary was sitting at the feet of Jesus, while Martha was busy cleaning and straightening the house.

I would love to see myself as Mary in this story, the gentle spirit who sat at the feet of Jesus. But the reality is that I'm more often like Martha than I think, especially when I have too many commitments or tasks!

When there's too much to get done, I become flustered and impatient with those around me, just as Martha did. It feels great to get things done, but it's easy to lose sight of sitting in God’s presence when you're constantly trying to accomplish "all the things"?

So where do we find balance between sitting and doing? What can we do to refocus our hearts and minds when there are just too many things? Here is one practice that I do: I take 30 seconds to stop, and ask God to empty me of my pride, my anger, my fears, my disappointments, and my insecurities. This is what I call a hard reset for my spirit. It reminds me that Jesus has set me free from worrying about "all the things", especially the things that I can't control or that I'm having trouble finishing. Then I take a deep, cleansing breath, and ask God to fill me with His love, His kindness, His gentleness, His confidence, and His security. This reminds me that the Holy Spirit is with me, and He is helping me to accomplish the things today that matter the most with a more flexible and loving spirit.

Sometimes we can't change how busy we are. But we can always change our approach to our busiest times. After all, it's not what we say to others that makes the biggest impact, but rather how we say it.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-9

Have a great weekend!

Todd