By Kevin "Mac" McClure
Busy enough? I don't know anyone who is looking for more to do. In fact, I've met retired people who are so busy that they comment that they don't know how they ever had time for work!
When we are continuously busy, we get distracted. We go about our day, running on adrenaline, thoughtlessly moving as if by sheer instinct from one activity to the next. We are virtually tied to our cell phones and computers. When we get home from work, there's more work to do until we fall into bed exhausted, only to do the same thing over again the next day and the next.
It's pretty easy to let this manner of living take over. We let the urgent things crowd out the important things. People in vocational ministry are not exempt. The "work of the Lord" replaces "the Lord of the work." Is there a better way?
Of course there is, but we won't figure it out until we take the time to unplug and step back. Take a personal day, or use a vacation day and tell people you won't be answering your phone. You can't do that? You must. God forbid, but if you were in an accident that put you in a coma you'd be completely unavailable and the people who say they have to get in touch with you would just have to get along without you, wouldn't they? Don't believe the lie that you have to be completely at someone else's beck and call.
It is amazing how much perspective we gain about what really matters when we retreat to a quiet place and simply listen. Perhaps before you can listen you'll need a nap. Do it. Sleep. When you are rested, get quiet. Be still. It's in this kind of environment that you will hear from God when you ask Him to show you what matters. I suggest that you ask Him to help you have the courage to make the changes in your life that are essential for your spiritual health. This will be the beginning of a process that will help you live a life of focus that will proceed from a platform of peace.