Too Busy

"I wish I could, I'm just too busy."

Ever say that?  Do you say that a lot?   Last night at small group we talked a little about what that phrase often means.  What it means most of the time is, "I choose not to make time for this activity."  In other words, the things that we say we don't have time for, we usually have not made a priority.

I see this in my life and in the life of others.  When something is important, really important to you, you make time for it.  You move schedules around, you make extra effort.  You make it work.  Then there are the things that may be of some small importance to you, but they aren't as important as other things, so you end up not making the effort, making the time for them.  When I say I am too busy, I am using a beautiful excuse.  Its a true statement, I am too busy.  The issue is, too busy doing what?  What is more important.  What you have time for and what you are too busy for reveals your priorities.

I am too busy to read my Bible every day but I do watch an hour of tv most days.

I don't have time to meet with you but I have time to engage in this activity.

I'm too busy to make it to church this week,  skiing/hiking/swimming was fun!

These are just three samples of things we may find ourselves saying.  In each case we excuse ourselves from the activity we may claim is important but really what we are saying is that the thing we did was more important to us than the thing we didn't "have time" for.

It is totally legitimate to make priorities and it is true that we don't have time for everything.  We just need to not pretend that we are not making priority choices and try to excuse misplaced priorities as lack of time.  You will make time for that which is most important to you.  If there are things that you say are important to you but you can never make time for them, then it is obvious that, rather you admit it to yourself or not, you have placed other things over the things you don't have time for.

A pastor who is so busy at church that he doesn't have time for his family has stated clearly that church is more important to him than his family.  He may not admit that even to himself, but the testimony of his life is clear.  Same goes for the man who is so busy at work that he doesn't have time for his family.

The person who doesn't have time to serve in any church ministry but can maintain a busy social schedule has stated clearly that church service is not as important as their social activities.  By the way, if this happens in a family, you will find that the kids grow up having recieved the message loud and clear that church really isn't that important.  They will find little time to go themselves when they get older.

So here we go.  Let's list some of what I would say are the most important disciplines for a Christ-follower.

• time in the Word
• time in prayer
• (for marrieds) quality communication time w/spouse
• (for families) quality communication time with children
• time with the church in corporate worship (Heb. 10:25)
• Discipling other believers or being discipled (Matt. 28:19)

Ok, that's a pretty good list.  What were you too busy to do this week?  What were you too busy doing instead?  What activities were so important to you that they crowded out one or more of the items on that list?  There are many good things to do in this world and many opportunities that may be fun and fulfilling, but when we choose to put them ahead of our Christian walk, let's not hide behind the old excuse that we are "too busy" when really we are simply following other priorities.