Overcoming Busy

Busyness vs. fruitfulness

March 9, 2009 by Marci

Tomorrow, I am speaking to our women’s group at church on the subject of “Busyness vs. Fruitfulness”.  We are having a series of speakers all month long to address practical tools for living.  I have giving a version of this lesson for about 10 years.  Back then, my husband and I had no children of our own, but we each worked about 10-12 hours a day and we were jr and sr high youth sponsors at our church.  This meant we spent 4-5 nights a week with the youth.  To me, busyness was just over commitment in these areas.  Both were good, but I had no downtime or alone time with my husband. And, I was getting burned out!  My ability to be fruitful was compromised.

A few years later, I taught on this same subject at a women’s bible study.  I had just had our first baby, so busyness for me was trying to keep a perfect house and still have that precious time with the baby and my husband.  I had to learn to put first things first and realize that a perfect house and grand meals every night weren’t as important than my family relationships.

Just last year, I spoke to our mom’s group on this subject.  Having two children and a self-employed husband, my view of busyness evolved and expanded again.  Over the years, our responsibilities and events began to fill our planners.  I did my best to organize our schedules and manage our house efficiently.  I was doing a pretty good job.  My house was clean and clutter-free, but that wasn’t the kind of fruit that really mattered.  The planner became my guide.  If it wasn’t in the planner, I didn’t have time for it.  My schedule had become my busyness.

As I have been studying and preparing for tomorrow night, I have realized that I work to overcome overcommitment, perfectionism and over-planning on a daily basis.  I try to get rid of everything that gets in the way of being fruitful.  The problem is that I spend so much time and energy trying to not be busy, that I haven’t spent enough time trying to be fruitful.  Each night, before going to bed, I look at my schedule for the next day and make my to-do list.  It really helps make sure nothing falls through the cracks.  Why can’t I spend some time each night deciding  how I am going to be really fruitful that next day?  How am I going to see outside of myself and my agenda to bless someone?

I’m not sure how my lesson will go tomorrow night.  I do know that getting the busyness out of our lives is important.  Its hard to see past yourself when you are “cluttered in”.  My hope is that once we overcome busyness we will concentrate on being fruitful.