Is It Possible To Be TOO Busy?

by John Jenkins

Is it possible to be “too busy”? Short and sweet, yes, but not necessarily. When you consider a verse like Ephesians 5:16, “Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.” And Our Saviours words in John 9:4 “I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.” You have to conclude that we are admonisted to be busy doing the right things.

This is a real busy week in most churches around the world.

It is “Holy Week” right (The Week Between Palm Sunday And Easter Sunday)? But in a Bible-believing, New Testament church like Grace Baptist every week is pedal to the metal because we treat every week as “Holy Week” and every Sunday as a very special time of ministry to others. Obviously, there are those like myself who are busy with practically everything, ministry, church, college, school, preaching, counseling, administrating, soul winning, planning, writing, family, friends, etc.

Some may perceive that such a host of activities could lead to barrenness or a loss in one’s sense of purpose or direction when all directions seem to be crisscrossing one over the next. I do share this perception in my own experience, though, because I strive to complete each action on my list with as much first-class effort as humanly possible. I pray with purpose, I preach and teach with purpose, I counsel with purpose, I lead with purpose, I write with purpose, I have fun with a purpose. Nothing is done haphazardly, but rather everything is done according to a set procedure that has been well considered and confidently prepared.

A busy schedule inside a busy life can bring about hopelessness, despair, or pain when life cannot be sorted and when organization crumbles.

One must live in the moment and forget for the time being about the busyness that lay behind and again that lies ahead. Even Christ hands us this advice as he teaches, “Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.” (Matthew 6:34).

Barrenness is born when a person lacks passion for the busy life that he or she leads. Barrenness pops up when enthusiasm is stifled. Barrenness succeeds when actions consume us instead of we ourselves rising to meet our actions.

I cannot imagine my life without the seemingly countless items on my daily to-do list.

Some items are for but a brief moment, but others call for my deep attention and bring about joy when I dedicate myself fully to them. When the toll of life does begin to push me over, I have the support of a precious wife, the joy of a great family, the cheerful attitudes of a great team who serve with me here in our ministries, and the comforting concern of my church family. I have my firm footing of faith in God who will never leave me nor forsake me. Trusting in God’s promises prevents the busy nature of life from ever succumbing to infertility—life will continue to be fruitful when connected to the true vine, Christ, the Son of God. When my branch happens to bear much fruit through the myriad of tasks I undertake, I should do nothing but praise God for using my life as a vessel. I rejoice in the busyness of my life, for this is the sphere in which I learn most about who I am, what I am called to be, and how I am drowning in God’s abundant grace.

by Dr. John Jenkins