Bees are regarded as one of the most industrious species on earth. It buzzes around pollinating plants, building beehives, and collecting nectar, all day long. Hence, the term “busy as a bee” has been part of the most commonly used idiomatic expressions since its first usage in the 14th century.
Humans are busy creatures too. In fact, some of us are so addicted to busyness that we feel like we are not productive when we rest or take time for ourselves. Some of us even spread ourselves too thin that we lose time, and opportunity to truly live life by seeking God and sharing meaningful moments with loved ones.
“You have sown much, and harvested little. You eat, but you never have enough; you drink, but you never have your fill. You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm. And he who earns wages does so to put them into a bag with holes.” Haggai 1:6
And while the Lord wants us to be preoccupied with working and doing good things, He also commands us to take time to rest. He even modeled this to us by resting on the seventh day after He created our world and everything in it.
“For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.” Deuteronomy 20:11
And so, when we defy this command and keep on working without resting, we might suffer burnout. Burnout does not only hurt us, it also hurts the ones around us. When we overwork ourselves we tend to tire ourselves out that we are too tired to be patient, understanding, and kind to others.
We can also be too pressured with work and our goals that we tend to be cranky and petty. And this does not only ring true for our jobs, but also with the things that we do for the Lord, such as ministry work, church activities, and outreach projects.
The most popular story in the bible that illustrates this point is Martha, one of Jesus’ friends. One day Jesus went to their house, and Martha was so preoccupied at serving Him and the disciples. Her sister Mary, on the other hand, was just sitting by Jesus’ feet, listening to what He was saying. As Martha felt tired serving she asked Jesus to call her own sister’s attention, and ask her to help her out in the kitchen.
“But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” Luke 10:40
But instead of scolding Mary for not helping out her sister, Jesus told Martha that there is nothing wrong with what Mary is doing.
“But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:41-42
And while most of us may not have the luxury of dedicating our whole day into prayer and reading scriptures, because we need to earn a living or take care of housework this story reminds us that we should know our priorities. Our priority should always be loving God and following His commands. Apart from setting aside time to pray and read the bible, we should also give our bodies and minds a break by taking time to rest.
“If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you please on my holy day, if you call the Sabbath a delight and the Lord’s holy day honorable, and if you honor it by not going your own way and not doing as you please or speaking idle words, then you will find your joy in the Lord.” Isaiah 58:13–14
Safe to say there is a good busy and a bad busy. God wants us to be preoccupied with doing good things and providing for our household but not to the point that we will forget to worship Him, rest our bodies, and enjoy the life that He gifted us. After all taking the time to rest is a declaration of our trust in Him that He will provide and take care of us while we worship and rest.
Thank you for reading through our devotional today. I invite you to
ponder on Luke 10:38-42 and Matthew 11:28-30 to dig deeper on today’s topic.
Reflection Question: Are you too busy to prioritize your relationship with God?
Conversation with the Lord: Heavenly Father, thank you for giving us provisions to seek you and rest our bodies, Sorry for the times I was too busy to just sit by your feet and get nourished with your word. Thank you for your relentless call for me to foster a relationship with you. Amen.
