Houston, We Have A Problem!

Let’s face it, we’re all crazy busy!


Our personal lives are busy.

Our work lives are busy.


In fact, the next time you ask somebody how things are going, I bet they’ll answer you with some form of, “I’m just really busy.”


Busyness, it seems, is just a part of life.


Well, in the Gospel of Luke, Jesus Himself addresses this reality. He’s on His way to Jerusalem with His disciples and makes a pit stop at the house of Martha and Mary. The sisters graciously welcome Jesus and His entourage into their home. From what we know of ancient Jewish culture, they would likely have arranged for their guest’s feet to be washed, hands to be cleaned, and for a meal to be prepared. Because they lacked a high-powered hose and modern cooking appliances, all of this would have taken a great deal of work. And Martha, the ever attentive hostess, gets right to it!


The list of to-do items seems endless. So, she gets busy making arrangements, giving orders, tasting sauces, and fluffing pillows. It’s a whirlwind of activity. Then, right in the middle of that storm, Martha looks over and sees Mary hanging out with Jesus. She’s not doing anything. She’s just sitting there listening to Jesus tell stories.


Likely a bit perturbed, Martha approaches Jesus. She asks Him why He’s ok with her doing all the work and Mary doing zilch. Jesus answers her. He confronts her in her busyness and points out the effect it’s had on her. The King of Kings is sitting right there in her living room and she’s been so busy that she’s missed it. The “one thing,” the most important thing, Jesus Himself, has been crowded out by all the activities at hand.


Tragic!


But, how many of us go to work every day like Martha? We hit the ground running and immediately become bogged down with emails, meetings, messages, reports, interruptions, etc. The smog of busyness so covers our day that we struggle to even take a breath. And because of this, we are unable to do or even recognize things that are worthwhile, productive, and beneficial.


If that’s you, then hold tight. Over the next several days we’re going to address this problem of busyness.

White Space Moment:

This is a time for you to pause, reflect on, and engage with what you’ve just read and experienced. At the end of each day, you’ll be invited into this white space moment. I hope it will be both encouraging and fruitful for you!

Do you identify at all with Martha? If so, take some time to write out answers to these questions:  

• How has busyness crept into and maybe even over taken your life?   
• What activities are you bombarded with that keep you from what’s really important?  
• How can you begin to alleviate some of these activities (say no to them, delegate them, etc.)?