Is Busyness Your Idol?

An idol is anything you have to check with before you say yes to God.

~ Kris Valotton

The bottom line, when it comes to busyness, is what takes priority in our lives.  Is it the “things” that we are doing, or is it a relationship with God?  And then should come our relationship with our spouse followed by our children.  Any activity that gets in the way of those relationships is too much – too much busyness.

James 4:4– “You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God?  Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.”

This verse very clearly tells us how God feels about friendship with the world.  How friendly are you with the world?  Is it keeping you so busy that you’re missing God’s plan for you?  Do you follow worldly advice over Godly advice?  That’s why God considers friendship with the world hatred towards Him.

Hatred towards God and becoming an enemy of God - these are very strong words that describe God's thoughts about our worldly involvement. Yet, many Christian have become accustomed to thinking it’s alright to “live” in the world, unaware of how strongly God detests it.

Another area that Christians can become too busy is in church activities.  They are easily justified as righteous and necessary.  But if they take time away from our spouse and our families, how righteous can it be?  Granted, there are many valuable opportunities in church to draw closer to God and learn more about him.  They can be a vital part of our Christian walk.  But, when you find yourself spending more time behind church doors than spending quality time with your family or your spouse, or even God, you may need to re-evaluate your church involvement.

I used church as an escape for numerous years.  I didn’t want to be at home with my husband, and so I became involved in the church.  My children were very young, and I thought it would be a better opportunity for my husband to bond with them when I wasn’t around.  He tended to sit back and let me do everything when I was home.  Besides, involvement in church could only be good, right?

 

Walking through those church doors did not make my activities holy or righteous because they occurred in church.  In fact, Satan opened up another door for me RIGHT IN THE CHURCH that led me to an adulterous affair.  If we are not careful, our righteous intentions can easily turn into busyness or sin, even in the midst of God’s holy temple.  Don’t let the confines of a church building fool you into believing what you are doing is God’s will for you.

The world has also infiltrated many churches.  Pick your church very carefully.   Even with church activities, you need to pray to God, first, to find out if what you want to do is part of His plan for you.

I’ve discussed the subject of busyness in great detail because I feel very strongly about the negative affect it has on our marriages and families.  I encourage every young mother not to enroll their children in too many activities, and to allow them plenty of quality time at home to be children.  We also need quality time with our spouse to sustain the kind of marriage God intended for us.   A high percentage of marriages break up when the children leave home because couples were too busy with the children to nourish their own relationship.

Slow down, stop and smell the roses, enjoy your family.  They will be grown up before you even know it.  You won’t think about all the dance classes and sports and music lessons they were involved in.  You’ll only wish you had spent more time with them without all the busyness.