Too Busy for God
What did you think about when you read that title? Did you think about all of those who are busy going to the lake on the weekends? Did you think about all of the people who work on Sundays? Did you think about all of the people traveling to softball, soccer, and other sports tournaments who tell you they are too busy to come to church? While all of those might be legitimate examples of the sentiment, actually, this sentiment comes from the Bible and was written to people in Jerusalem who were busy doing important things, but just not the right things.
“…But you did not depend on Him who made it, nor did you take into consideration Him who planned it long ago.”
Isaiah 22:11b
So, what were they doing? Let’s zoom out a bit.
“…in that day you depended on the weapons of the house of the forest, and you saw that the breaches in the wall of the city of David were many; and you collected the waters of the lower pool. Then you counted the houses of Jerusalem and tore down houses to fortify the wall. And you made a reservoir between the two walls for the waters of the old pool.”
(Isaiah 22:8b-11a)
The people of Jerusalem and Judah were under siege. They have sinned against God through worshiping other “gods” and were paying the price of living outside of His protection and provision. They were surrounded by the enemy. They needed to take action to ensure their survival. But what was the best action they could take?
They were concerned for the holes in their protective walls. That was good. They were concerned for preserving their water supply so they could ride out the siege for a long time. That was good. They even went so far as to tear down houses so they would have building materials to rebuild the broken parts of the walls. That was good. So, they did all of this good stuff. What was the problem?
Their problem was they did not turn to God for deliverance. They did not repent and turn away from their sins. They did not look to God for His deliverance. They were so busy doing good stuff that they missed out on the doing the best.
As I think about the example set in this passage, I am left wondering how many Christians are guilty of this. I also wonder how many churches are likewise. Many people are busy doing good things for God. They are raising a family. That is good. They are providing for their family. That is also good. They are protecting their family. That is good. They are developing their children and training them for sports, academics, and success in life. All of that is good. They are helping with community groups and projects. That is good. They are helping out at church. That is also good.
As they are doing all of this stuff, they never stop to ask God what He wants of them. They just continue to do what they have always done or what makes them feel fulfilled, but they are too busy for God. They have lost touch with Him. They no longer pray like they once did. They no longer submit their decisions to His direction as they once did. They no longer take the time to seek the wisdom of His word, His people, or His Church like they once did. They are so busy working for God that they miss out of being with, loving, and knowing God.
And churches are made up of people who are busy. Pastors are busy. Sunday School teachers are busy. Choir members are busy. We are all busy doing good things, but is it at the expense of the best thing?
So, what is the answer? Do we stop ministry? Do we go to a monastery and sit in silence? Do we checkout from the world? Do we shut down our churches? Hardly! We need to go back to our first love and let that love drive us forward to the actions He directs and make sure we are doing them for His glory. Then we will be busy with God and not just for Him.