“I am so busy!”
“I have a great deal to do at work.”
“My kids are heavily involved in several activities.”
“Ministry takes up a lot of my time.”
Maybe you’ve said one of these statements. Maybe you’ve said them all. I’m in the latter category. And it’s had me thinking a lot lately because ultimately I think it can lead us to say:
“I just don’t have time to spend with anyone.”
Don’t get me wrong. I understand that our responsibilities are important and require our time. But do you ever find yourself becoming so caught up in the flurry of activity that you miss out on actually connecting with people?
Maybe you’re hustling from work to put dinner on the table, but everyone is swallowing their food and rushing off. After all, there’s homework to do, dishes to wash, and preparing for the next day. Or maybe you’re shuffling your kids from one game to another, but you are preoccupied with trying to stick to a schedule. Yes, we are all physically together, but do we actually see each other? Do we connect with each other and spend quality time together?
I began thinking that if there is anyone who could have justified being too busy, it’s Jesus. I mean, He had just three and a half years to point people to God through teaching, healing, and doing the miraculous. Yet, in the midst of going about His Father’s business, Jesus made time to love on the little children in Matthew 19:13-15, to calm both the storm and His terrified disciples in Matthew 8:23-27, to have compassion on the crowd and provide food for them in Matthew 14:13-21, and to talk to the those deemed sinners like the woman in Samaria in John 4:1-45.
While Jesus was on earth, He had a great deal of work to do. Yet, He saw each of these people. His eyes were opened to connect with them and their needs. Jesus was present in the moment for each person and their lives were positively impacted as a result.
Dear Friend, I pray that we would not allow being busy prevent us from seeing those around us and connecting with them. 1 Peter 4:7-8 (MSG) says, “… take nothing for granted … love each other as if your life depended on it.” May our parents, siblings, relatives, spouses, children, friends, and neighbors know that we see them.
~Joyce
*Photo credit: Unsplash
