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The Connection |
Busy
As I try to keep my head above water in these busy days, I’m reminded of a quote from Bill Hybels’ book, Too Busy Not to Pray. He wrote, “The archenemy of spiritual authenticity is busyness.” Now, if this was just a quote from Bill Hybels, I could write it off as one man’s opinion. But all he is doing is reiterating a biblical truth. God said in Psalm 46:10, “Be still, and know that I am God…” (NIV) Check out this same verse in a different and more unfamiliar translation. “Cease striving and know that I am God…” (NASB) Put those two ideas together and you get the picture. To have a relationship with God that is authentic and alive, I must “be still” and “cease striving.” To “be still” means that I shut up. I don’t talk. I listen. I reflect. I am quiet. To “cease striving” means that my e-mail may go unchecked for a time. The phone may go unanswered. It means that I stop doing whatever I would normally be doing. That all sounds great. It fits nicely into a sermon (or an e-newsletter), but it’s difficult to do in reality. I’m not suggesting that it’s easy. In fact, I have failed miserably in this area in recent weeks. I need to remind myself of the example of Jesus. “…the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” (Mark 5:15-16, NIV) Jesus withdrew from the crowds to quiet himself and pray to the Father. The Son of God knew that he had to “be still” and “cease striving.” If Jesus needed this quiet communion with God, why do I think I can get by without it? I need to “be still” and “cease striving,” and I believe I’ll start by ending this article right now. In His Quiet Love,
Mike
Luminous Student Ministries
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I’m busy. That’s all there is to it. Right now, my life feels like a whirlwind and I’m doing well if I simply hang on. And when I stop and look at the upcoming weeks in my planner, I just shake my head. I could bore you with the details of my schedule, but I won’t. The bottom line is that I’m busy, and I’m going to stay busy for awhile.
"Our quest is to illuminate the truth of Jesus for the world in a manner that inspires everyone to live courageously committed and devoted to His call."