Wednesday, 8/5/20 – Pressing on… “Busyness vs Busyness”

Busyness vs Busyness

Corrie Ten Boom once noted, “If the devil can’t make you sin, he’ll make you busy.” In yesterday’s blog I referenced Mary among those with singleness of mind and purity of ambition. Her story is found below…

As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”

“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:38-42)

Martha was busy, busy in doing what she understood to be good hostess things to do… Her busyness was directed at “serving” Christ.

Mary was busy too, busy being attentive to Christ… busy being served by Him, hearing and learning His Will. (See Luke 10:38-42).

Jesus was also busy, busy being about God the Father’s Will. He said, “By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.” (John 5:30).

I am convinced there is no work I can come up with and do to help along the work of the kingdom of God. No amount of my new ideas and busying myself about my “inventions” that will in the end have worthwhile effect. Instead, I must simply stop my self-generated busyness and spend time listening and learning the Will of God. Once I know it, as He directs me, I must do it.

Martin Luther was a very busy man. He was a man devoted to prayer. He once commented, “I have so much to do that I shall spend the first three hours in prayer.”

Jehoiada was busy, busy in doing the Will of God, as directed by God. (Read 2 Chron. 22-23 and link to Pastor Andrew’s recent Sunday message – see below).

The Christian must always keep prayer and activity in balance. We must hear God’s Will before we presume to busy ourselves to do it. When God’s Will is made clear to us, then we must stir ourselves in the doing of it. It may require planning, additional helpers, strategies, tact and timing, but when we are directed by God such busyness is blessed.

Press on…

To hear Pastor Andrew’s Sunday message, go to the Facebook page of Lincoln Baptist Church, or link to the livestream from the church website.