What kind of busyness do you have?

At one of our recent “Leading People from Busy to Engaged” workshops one pastor interjected with the question: “Are you too busy?” I believe I responded something like: “I am often on the extended side of busy, and lately I have been a little too busy.”

 Now that I’ve had more time to think about that exchange, I would suggest that the right question is: “Are you too busy for spiritual growth and passionate service?” To that I can answer, “rarely.”

My passion is growing people of Christ-like character. I want to spread character development across the breadth of the church. More often than I would like, I’m so engrossed in the details involved in tending to this toddling nonprofit that I lose sight of the vision that drives my passion and I find myself  drained, physically and emotionally. Yet, my busyness is still about moving forward that for which God has me on this earth.

On most days I am still journaling, practicing a private lectio divina and examen of consciousness. Those disciplines have become the bedrock of my spiritual practices. Yet, here too I could thrive and do much better. I have had the same spiritual director for over 15 years. She has been getting quite old. I am saddened and embarrassed to say that it has been a long time since I have met with her. Recently I attempted to make an appointment only to find that she had fallen ill and died suddenly a year ago.  I will never forget her reminder to “find God in all things.” I am still making time for spiritual growth, not too busy for that--though I would like to reinvest effort into it.

Are you too busy? Remember, the question is not simply are you busy or not? The real question ist whether busyness is distracting you from your spiritual growth and passionate service. In the current culture, busyness is inevitable.. But busyness with a purpose is enriching and fulfilling. One person said it well in their evaluation of a “Leading People from Busy to Engaged” workshop. The right kind of busyness is about “transforming ordinary busyness to kingdom busyness.”

The experience I had a key role in creating,  Charting Your Course often helps people be busy about the best things for them. It moves them away from ordinary busyness, toward kingdom busyness.