Being busy is not a priority in life. We must break this tendency of western culture, which has even taken hold in the Body of Christ. It keeps us too engaged with activity to even stop and breathe. We must learn to redeem the time and live the life God has for us.
As we discussed in the last post, one way we do this is to learn to find our identity in Christ alone, rather than in what we do. Yet that, by itself, will not break the cycle of overwork and stress. If we are to beat the bondage of busyness, we must also learn to rely fully on the leading of the Holy Spirit in how we spend our time each day.
We said that a daily habit of prayer is necessary to reveal our new identity in Christ. Most often, it is not a lack of time, but a lack of priority that keeps us from deep, meaningful prayer. What we must see is that not making time for the Holy Spirit to speak to us daily will affect more than just finding our identity in Him. Without His daily guidance in our activity list through prayer, we will also not be in sync with God’s plan for our day-to-day lives.
Redeeming the Time
Ephesians 2:10 tells us that “we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus (that is identity) for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them (that is our activity).” God cares about who we are becoming, and is shaping our “new man” after the image of Jesus, but He also cares about how we spend our time.
This should automatically tell us that in order to be onboard with the works God has for us, we must be living in relationship with Him continually. We should find His priorities, daily, for our lives.
The truth is that having families, careers, friends, and other commitments in life will always bring demands that we cannot say “no” to. We simply cannot control everything that gets onto our schedules without isolating ourselves. However, the reality is that we usually have way more control of our time than we take responsibility for.
The Apostle Paul gave some important keys to the Ephesian church for redeeming the time. He said, “look carefully how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is” (Ephesians 5:15-17, ESV).
Key #1: Walking in Wisdom
In this command, He first says that it takes wisdom in determining how you walk in this world.
Too many people simply float through life in an unwise way. They do not strategically think about how they prioritize their lives or how they accept new items on their to-do list. They simply let life happen to them. For example, how many times have you found yourself spending hours on social media, binging Netflix, or wasting time in countless other ways, without giving it a second thought? Yeah… me too.
In order to change this lifestyle, we must first make a commitment to wisdom.
Where do we find wisdom when it seems to be lacking? In relationship with the Lord, of course!
James 1:5 says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given to him.”
So the first step in overcoming an out-of-control busyness, is to come to the Lord and ask for wisdom in how you will live your life. It is His delight to guide you in your calling, your activities, and how to make decisions going forward. He will instruct you on the things that should be a priority. He will also reveal the things that will lead you down the wrong path. Trust His wisdom.
Key #2: Make the Best Use of Your Time
Once we have asked God for wisdom, we must walk in it. This is where calling Him “Lord of our lives” actually takes affect, and we let Him be the one in charge; the master we submit to.
To be honest, there have been many times in my life that the Holy Spirit has told me to say no to something I really wanted to do. And there have been times I have ignored Him, and done what I wanted. And it has usually turned out bad for me.
Sometimes, it becomes very obvious that what I thought would be the best option was not, and things have gone bad. At other times, I have found that by saying yes, rather than listening to God, I have actually missed out on other, better opportunities. Now, of course there are times when I have ignored God’s leading and do not see the negative affect it has. However, in making the best use of our time, we should realize that the one who controls the universe will always lead us in the best option for our lives.
Submission to God means listening to Him guide us, and then obeying what He tells us to do. That is how we put the wisdom of God into action, and make the best use of the time.
Key #3: Understand the Will of the Lord
Finally, Paul says that in order to redeem the time, we must understand what the will of the Lord is, because left to its own devices, time defaults to “evil.”
Of course this means we must be reading the Bible, daily, and understanding the “full counsel” of the Lord. However, if we believe that God has a will for our lives, that is personal to each one of us, then we must remain in the posture of prayer and listening throughout our day, as well.
If you are married, intimacy with your spouse cannot happen in a 15-minute private time each morning, before you move on with your life. It takes an ongoing relationship, throughout the day. We send texts, make phone calls, share a passing glance or touch on the shoulder, and make time for long conversations whenever possible. Relationships require ongoing connection.
In the same way, intimacy with the Lord means that we give Him our time. We desire Him to speak to us, continually, in everything we do. We seek Him out, even in the busy moments.
If we are making an important decision at work, we should inquire of the Lord. If we are spending time with our family, we should be asking Him how to be a better spouse or parent. In everything we do and every decision we make, we should be consulting with our “Lord.”
His divine will for our lives is not an abstract, far-out idea. It is a moment-by-moment desire that we should be becoming like Christ, and a plan to make that happen in every action. You must make it a priority to determine His will in all things, every day.
Our Divine Assistant
The good news for us is that God did not intend on us to live our lives on our own. He wants to lead and guide us, and to show us the way in all things.
Jesus says, “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you” (John 14:16-17).
He went on to say that when the Spirit comes, “He will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you” (John 16:13-15).
If God cares, so much, about how you live your life each day, that He sent His own Spirit to dwell with you and guide you in all things, then you should rely on Him, fully, to do so.
Although I do not intend to limit Him in any way, you can think of the Holy Spirit like a “Supernatural Life Coach,” who will lead you into Christ-likeness. He is also like a “Divine Executive Assistant” who will help you plan your calendar and to-do list.
No matter how you choose to think of His help in your life, what you cannot do is neglect the Holy Spirit’s presence and guidance. If you see being busy for busyness sake as the distraction and destructive force it is, then you must rely on God to be the one to lead you into His abundant life, rest, and peace.
I would encourage you to begin right now. Before you move on to the next thing, take a moment and ask Him what you should do next; how you need to do whatever it is, and to lead you in any decisions that will come of it. He wants to be involved, if you will let Him.
In the next post, I will show you the best productivity system I have found, and that I use in my own life and ministry to keep myself moving forward in what God has called me to do. Stay tuned…
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