While I was praying and reading one of several morning devotions, (Psalm 143:8, 10) I came upon a quote by a prominent theologian. The theologian writing the article was essentially endorsing the quote of the other, using as a reference the often told story of Martha and Mary in Luke 10:38 – 42. No one will disagree with the fact that listening to and learning from Jesus is more important than busyness. However, both theologians seem to ignore the fact that Martha was not condemned by Christ and it stands to reason that if Martha didn’t do the work, then there would have been no meal, one purpose for the gathering. Let’s consider the quote: “Busyness is the enemy of spirituality. It is essentially laziness. It is doing the easy thing instead of the hard thing. It is filling our time with our own actions instead of paying attention to God’s actions…It is an either/or situation. Busyness has nothing to do with activity, and spirituality is not the absence of activity. You either enter into what God is doing or you don’t. A busy person is a lazy person because they are not doing what they are supposed to do.”
The last sentence, which I have bolded is what I take the greatest exception to. In the end you make your own decision. My first point rests in surveys conducted by psychometric organizations such as TTI (Phoenix, Arizona) which identify 2/3 of the population as relational and a full 1/3 task oriented. Those statistics tell me God created mindsets in specific proportions. The vast majority (like these theologians) fall into the relational category and will normally focus on interactions. That mindset may, at times run them behind on tasks or responsibilities. However, God created the other third to focus on the strategy and details so everyone could be “fed” physically, mentally and spiritually. I believe God identified this significant portion of the population to be the support system enabling the spread of the gospel for those who are simply relational or communicators. When we read Romans 8:28 and see the phrase “all things,” we must remember that some of those things are people, their personalities and God’s calling on their lives. Otherwise, why would God have created them?
Consider Paul’s treatise on marriage in 1 Corinthians 7 (especially verse 28.) There you notice his opinion is based on one way seeming better than the other. However, there is no condemnation for the one who marries – which includes the majority of our population and these theologians! The mindset can be applied to our original subject. Being relational is the best way, however, God DID NOT create everyone relational for a reason. Moving from task to task, or what may be considered busyness may be what God intended for some. After all, Paul says in this same chapter (verses 3 – 6) that we are to stay busy sexually at home so we are not tempted sexually outside the home. There’s a reason.
The real question is do you love God and is your heart focused on what He wants you to do? Whether your schedule is full or slack, fulfilling your calling is the key, not fulfilling other’s expectations.
Love Dad