Originally published Monday, 06 February 2017.
www.insideoutwithcourtnaye.org
We live in a noisy world, today. This was actually confirmed even more so at a recent women’s conference that I attended this past weekend. Everybody’s busy. Are you? I know that I am. But guess what? I would venture to say that yes, God wants us to be busy doing what He’s called us to do, no doubt! However, I don’t think He wants us to be so busy to the point where we allow the responsibilities to outweigh the relationship.
Are you getting this?
Again, we live in a noisy world. Think about it. For most of us, when we wake up in the morning, the alarm clock buzzes loudly, our phones start going crazy with Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest and email alerts or text messages. Then all of a sudden, we begin to hear reminders of what needs to be done for the day or the kids, hubby, boss, or news on TV gets louder and louder.
Let’s face it. We live in a noisier world than ever before! And we do in fact, have busy lives. Yet, at some point, it needs to be silenced to connect with God on a deeper level. It needs to be silenced to spend quality time with our kids. It needs to be silenced to stop and pray or intercede for someone else’s need. It needs to be silenced to re-prioritize or reassess. It needs to be silenced to take time off to spend with your husband or a friend uninterrupted by the dings from your phone. It needs to be silenced to get things back in the proper order for whatever that looks like in your personal life. The noise needs to be silenced.
For a brief moment I want to share with you an excerpt from the book “Breaking Busy” by Alli Worthington. It’s actually something that Christine Cain wrote in the Forward of her book. She said, “Busy is intoxicating. We live in a day and age when we seem to get high on being busy. In fact, we wear the label like a badge of honor, a secret seal of approval, a validation and proof of our worthiness.” Ouch! That passage hit me like a ton of bricks, because it’s true…unfortunately.
Are you guilty of saying, “I’m busy,” when someone asks you, “How are you these days?” I know I’m guilty. But have you ever thought about how much you say this? For a minute, think about why you say it so much. Do you wear busyness like a badge of honor, a secret seal of approval, or to validate or prove your worth?
I want to encourage you this week, to break busy…to silence the noise so that you can spend more time in God’s Word, in prayer for you and others, but to also open up space to spend time with those you love and even do something for yourself that’s mindless. In other words, watch a good movie, read a book you’ve been wanting to read, schedule that massage or spa day…whatever you do, silence the noise.
Here are a few Scriptures to help you accomplish this…
James 4:8, “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.”
Psalm 119:133, “Guide my steps by your word, so I will not be overcome by evil.”
Psalm 119:11, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”
Psalm 46:10, “Be still and know that I am God.”
Psalm 23:1-3, “The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need. He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name.”
Philippians 2:3-4, “Don’t be selfish, don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take interest in others, too.”
When we spend time in God’s Word, we not only draw closer to Him, but we also have more peace, fruit (character), strength, and wisdom to accomplish all that He desires. We also have more to spend with others that we love and care about. And keep in mind of what God’s Word says in Philippians 1:6, “He who began a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.” He will do it! So let's keep calm and silence the noise in our busy lives.
Remember, Jesus is coming back soon! And those who endure unto the end shall be saved. So let’s be ready from the Inside Out!
~Courtnaye
QUESTION: Is the world around you noisy? Are you super busy and know that you need to spend more time with God and others, yet just can’t seem to silence the noise because of all the demands on your life right now? If you need prayer in this area, I’ll join you on it. You can email me directly @ insideoutwithcourtnaye@gmail.com. Talk to you soon!
ALSO, just want to encourage you to grab my NEW book, “IDENTIFIED: Knowing Who You Are in Christ & Moving Forward in Your Purpose!” ORDER IT TODAY right here on Amazon.com! And if you already have it and have read it, please give me a REVIEW on Amazon.com. Thanks so much in advance.
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