We live in a society where being busy is often rewarded and seen as a sign that someone is highly successful in their career, family life, and community. We can also fall victim to the idea that being a Christian who is fully committed to the work of God means we have no time for ourselves.
However, the Bible encourages us to re-examine what society says about the benefits of busyness. Scripture highlights a different perspective of busyness, that counteracts what has been ingrained in our minds for so long.
Here, we discuss five lies we tell ourselves as Christians about the need to be busy, ranging from the idea that rest is unnecessary, to our misguided belief that we won’t look the part of a Christian if we aren’t doing something every waking moment.
By dispelling these lies – and even learning a story or two from the Bible of people who struggled with busyness – we can grow to be more spiritually healthy in our lives and daily tasks.
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Struggles with Busyness in the Bible
Many of us are familiar with the story of Martha and Mary, sisters of Lazarus, one of Jesus’ treasured friends. If you don’t recall, Jesus was invited to their house one evening. While Martha was busy preparing the food and readying the house, Mary was positioned at Jesus’s feet, soaking up everything He was saying.
In Luke 10:38-42, Martha went to Jesus, asking for His help in convincing Mary to assist her with the preparations. However, Jesus advised her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her” (Luke 10:41-42).
Jesus wasn’t the only one to speak about busyness. King Solomon, King David, the apostle Paul, and Moses also spoke about how being busy could be detrimental, and that we should work for God’s kingdom, not man’s approval. We are meant to work – as God demonstrated in creating the heavens and the earth in six days – but we are also to value rest and consider it more important than being busy all the time. God rested on the seventh day, and so should we.
Dispelling the Lies about Busyness
Unfortunately, even knowing these biblical truths about busyness and rest, we can sometimes take the world’s word as truth that we can’t be all we can be if we aren’t busy in every area of our lives.
Here are five common lies about busyness that drift from what the Bible says regarding productivity:
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1. I’m the Only Person Who Can Do This Job or Task
How many times have we been at our workplace, at home, or even taking part in church activities, and feel like we are the only one who can do a certain job or task? We have this sense of responsibility that even though we have other things we are handling, or we are tired or overwhelmed in some way, but we must take care of this job, because we alone can do it.
However, this is definitely a lie we tell ourselves. Even if we feel we must stay busy to fulfill this job, that doesn’t mean we can’t delegate some of it to others or leave it for a time until we are rested and fresh to work. Plus, if you believe you are the only person who can do this job, then you may be doing it for your own glory and ego, and you are setting yourself up for more of a struggle.
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2. Not Being Productive Means I’m Lazy
I often fall to this lie that if I’m not being productive, then I am being lazy. This is a lie that society especially loves to throw at all of us, making it seem as though if you take time for yourself, then you are being selfish and letting others down. Some in the church can also embody this mindset, using a guilt trip to entice people to stay busy for the church, even if God hasn’t called them to certain roles.
Sometimes people who view moments of unproductivity as laziness have been fed the lie as well, and feel if they have to work hard at what they are doing, then everyone else should as well (just like Martha and Mary). We seem to develop temporary amnesia and forget that while we are having an unproductive moment right now, we did do hard work in the past and have helped others. Remembering those moments will help to push this lie to the side.
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3. Rest Is Not Needed
Ah, rest, the word that some people embrace with open arms while others continue to struggle with. However, the importance of rest has gained a spotlight within the world recently, through the encouragement of self-care – resting from work or other labors to take part in activities that promote relaxation.
Rest, in God’s eyes, is coming into fellowship with Him, as He knows the demands of our days can take that precious time away from us. To rest is to allow God to share His guidance with us without the interruption of daily tasks, so we avoid some difficulties and reach the blessings He has for us. Rest can also cause your mindset toward busyness to change by helping you feel recharged and refreshed. You won’t get that feeling from being busy all day, every day. If God used a day for rest, why shouldn’t we as well?
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4. If I Don’t Stay Busy, I Could Be Passed Over for Another Opportunity by God
This belief regarding busyness can be found in several workplaces, as well as within the church. It’s the idea that if you don’t look like you are busy, someone else could be chosen for an opportunity that you want because you don’t look responsible in your busyness. It’s that blending of perspective that if you don’t appear busy, then you aren’t taking certain things – like your job or role in church – seriously. Hence, you won’t take this new opportunity seriously.
However, an opportunity from God, in whatever area of your life, is something He has chosen just for you. Even if you are doing nothing but relaxing in a chair, God is the one who determines you are right for the opportunity, not your display of ceaseless busyness.
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5. I Won’t Look Like the Christian I Am if I Am Not Busy
Just as with number four, we, as Christians sometimes carry the belief that if we aren’t staying busy, people’s perceptions of us will be wrong. They will think we don’t care to do the work of the Lord if we take a moment for ourselves, even if after taking that moment, we are rested and more effective in what we can do for God.
Unfortunately, due to their relationships with others and their own beliefs and relationship with God, people will have their own ideas of what a true Christian does and doesn’t do. What we need to remember is that Jesus is still the epitome of perfect Christian, and following His example for work and rest is better than trying to do anything that would gain the approval of man.
In this world, we are faced each day with the belief that busyness is a badge of honor, instead of a weight we carry that increases by the day. People are celebrated if they are busy in every area of their lives, but in God’s eyes, busyness doesn’t mean we have achieved more than a person who makes rest a priority.
Being busy only further distracts us from what God wants us to do as part of His plan. So, if you feel wrapped up in these lies regarding busyness, take a moment to breathe, put what you are doing to the side, and listen for the Holy Spirit to guide you through your day. That will be more productive than anything else!
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Originally published Thursday, 28 March 2024.
