Busyness Drift

Are you old enough to remember 'busy signals'? 

I tried making a phone call a few weeks ago and --to my surprise-- heard a busy signal. They are about as rare as seeing a payphone. Phones aside, have you ever felt a busy signal from someone? Or, maybe you've given off busy signals to those around you. 

This past Sunday we gave time to consider the pace at which our world lives (is it really living?) and our physical and emotional need to Sabbath. Let's take a moment to reflect again on the gravity and impact of busyness on our walk with God. 

As Michael Zigarelli of Charleston Southern University discovered in his survey of 20,000+ global Christians, busyness creates a dangerous spiritual spiraling effect. 

Which of the 5 elements in the cycle above could you see yourself in lately? 

What could it look like to rebel against the Busyness Drift? 

1. Christians begin to follow the way of Jesus regarding managing time, practicing the Sabbath, and giving preference to people & relationships over time & productivity. 

2. Christians begin finding that God fills more and more of their lives. 

3. Christians discover new delight in their relationship with God.

4.  Christians become even more immune to untrue and unloving cultural pressures and norms. 

5. The lives of Christians begin to stand out more and more as distinctly healthy, redemptive, and loving. People who are far from God are attracted to what is different and become curious about the way of Jesus that is at the center of all this. 

Hmmm... I like it! 

Application Questions:

• What would need to change in order for you to become great at #1 in the list just above?
• What could you do this week to make an improvement? 

As the author of Hebrews said,

"We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard (the truth of Jesus!) so that we do not drift away." Heb 2.1 

When Jesus came to change the world, He did it at 5km/h -- walking speed.
Let's slow down to be with God. 

Pastor Mike