Thursday
Oct212004
Busyness
Thursday, October 21, 2004 at 8:55AM 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 taking charge. (Eugene Peterson)
Reader Comments (10)
Ouch! You're really serious about this slowing down thing. I think that's great. You're inspiring me...thanks!
That's great! However, I'd love to have a copy of Eugene's monthly schedule to see how it works out in his life.
Hey Darryl, I've been thinking a lot lately about how much time I spend on the blogs. How busy I can get with it, and how worked up I can get as I dialogue with people who for the most part have such a different world view than I now hold. I've been convicted as I have been reading through Henry Blackaby's book Experiencing God that the main thing I need to do is to see where God is at work and to join Him there. I reflected on the blogs and what they are all about and I aked myself and have prayed that God would show me where He is at work using this medium. I'll be honest with you I don't really see it. I may be wrong and I'm sure you or others might point it out to me, but I don't see evidence in blog world of lives being transformed by God through the use of blogs. I think about all the time people invest in blogs and I wonder what for. Isn't it our job as Christians and especially as Christian leaders to know Christ and to make Him known? It seeems to me people can get very busy and spend tons of time in blog world but where is the fruit of all that? I know you have been out there on the www for some time now, can you share how God has used your blog to make a difference in other people's lives? Have there been instances of people coming into a relationship with Christ through the use of your blog?
I know you didn't ask this of me, george, but I will give you my thoughts. I don't use blogging for the purpose of bringing about life-change- ie. that's not my primary purpose. I use it primarily to express my thoughts and ideas, some of it is to keep friends and family updated on our lives. Having said that, sometimes there's some good comment threads that go on and at those times I find (for me) that iron sharpens iron. But I've also found when people begin to discuss things from completely different position there's few times where you can really notice a seeking to understand and listening to others first. I also don't spend as much time as I used to blogging. I try to do it at most a few times a week, if something pops in my head...and I don't really travel around many other blogs...even the people on my blogroll don't get visited every week, with the exception of a few. So, for me, it's great in terms of the expression and even developing of ideas as well as just sharing life with a different kind of community...even connecting with others all over the world. But there's a dangerous side to the blogging world too...you can be whoever you want! It's virtual reality and you can really be a virtual personality. Meaning that you can say whatever you want and I'm not sure at times bloggers don't get stuck in the game of appearances. I think each person must find their own reason to do it or not do it...but if the primary reason you want to do it is to bring about life change in people's lives...I'm not sure all the effort is worth the results...if that's what you want to do, I think you're better off building into real live people in your life. Others might be wrong, I just don't think this is the best medium/forum for that. Except where sometimes, real live communities (people who know each other) use it to take something they're working/thinking through deeper. But even then, doing it over coffee is healthier. Just some thoughts
Appreciate your thoughts Ed. I know God has used the blogs to show me the different opinions and world views there are out there also within the Christian world. Its been a real eye opener. The issues that are being discussed. But for me I'm at the point now where I'm done with all the discussion, I really want to go out there and be salt and light and to point our lost world to the only hope we have as humanity, Jesus Christ. That's where the power is. The resurrection power of Jesus Christ. Instead of all the arguments, especially the ridiculous one of what is sin and what isn't, I would much rather be used by God to communicate to the lost and unbelieving world how much God loves them and desires for them to be freed from the bondage of sin. I really do want to know Christ more and to make Him known. What is more awesome than to see a new life in Christ. To reach out to the lost, whether they be gay or straight, rich or poor, powerful or powerless with the only good news that can set them free, Jesus Christ. That's what I want to get busy doing.
Ed: Sunder at Rexdale spent a six-month sabbatical with Eugene. From everything I have heard and read, this isn't just theory. He actually lives it. George: I agree with Ed that building relationships is one area where blogging has been good for me. But follow what God is telling you: don't let blogging suck your time away from getting out there.
I wasn't suggesting it might not be real, I was saying I'd like to see how it works out on a weekly basis in his life. I think, if I read correctly what he means when he says busyness he's tying it in to doing a bunch of stuff (our agenda) rather than hearing from God and doing his thing. Ie. Jesus and the Son does what he sees the father doing...kind of thought. I'm not sure he's talking strictly about time issues...because if he is...we can say Jesus had rythms etc...but there's few people, including pastors that are as busy as he was. Yes, he knew when to get away and stop...but often he was burdened by his passion for people and interrupted what he was doing to be with them and minister to them, often for days on end. When the situation called for it (people and need again) he healed on the Sabbath. Unless we're of the opinion that he only did that as a teaching scenario. Which I don't think we'd say. okay, enough of that...
I would say that in some legitmate sense a pastor should be busy. How else do you explain Paul's description of pastors as "those who labour among you" in 1 Thess. 5:12? He could have chosen the standard word for "work" but instead choses *kopiao* (labour) which means to toil or work by the sweat of your brow.
Dave: It's partly the context. I think Eugene's talking about a busyness that doesn't make time for what's important. I'm with you in terms of pastors working or "labouring" hard. They'd just better be sure they're taking time for God and doing the right things.
Yeah so true Darryl.