archives: june 2011...

editorial...

Man, I’m busy. Let me tell you, woo, life is manic. I’m so busy I don’t actually get round to doing any work because in my busyness I start making lists and before I know it, I have a page full of half scribbled notes and no time left in the day. Busy, busy, busy. That’s me.

We’re all busy. Life’s full of stuff to do. Whether it’s work, revising for exams, seeing your mates, getting through your emails, accepting all your Facebook friends, sorting out the washing up, cleaning your room or just taking the dog for a walk, there’s a million different things grabbing at our time and our attention. We’ve all got a mass of stuff that keeps us busy.

The thing I’ve started to notice is that I’m beginning to define myself as ‘being busy’. People say, ‘Hey Dan, how are you?’ and my default response is, ‘Well, good but pretty busy’. I’ve caught myself saying it a few times recently, which has made me think, is being busy really how I want to live my life? Is that the first thing I want people to know about me?

We might find value in being busy. Having stuff to do means we’ve got a purpose and that’s no bad thing. But if that’s our entire purpose then we’re missing something. Imagine one of my mates phones me up and wants to hang out. If the first thing I say to him is that I’m pretty busy, he’s likely to feel a bit awkward about taking some of my precious time. Being busy might cost us our mates. It might stop people asking us for advice. It might stop people from asking us for help.

Jesus was busy. In fact, my to do list pales in comparison to his; He had a message to preach and God’s Kingdom to reveal. That’s enough of a job, but on top of that he was looking to identify, gather and train a bunch of followers who would continue his message after his death. He had twelve key followers, plus another 72 whom he sent out to minister. That’s a pretty good-sized group of people to be responsible for. He was in demand from all sorts of different groups, had speaking engagements and was always on the move.

But his busyness never defined him. In the midst of crowds, rushing from one engagement to the next, Jesus still found time to stop and value people. In just a couple of verses in Luke chapter 8 he’s stopped and distracted by three different people. He notices when a woman touches him in the hope she might be healed. He was stopped by a man struggling with possession. He was even met by the ruler of the local synagogue who was desperate for his daughter to be healed.

On all the occasions Jesus stops. He values the people who need his attention and goes on to heal them in incredible ways. Even though his followers understand his time is precious (Lk 8v49), Jesus knows that each person is significant, and each person needs him. And of course he responds.

So, my aim and prayer over the next few busy months, is to stop. To make time for people. To listen. To think before I say ‘Man, I’m busy’ and look for ways I can use my time better. How about you? We’re all busy in a million different ways, but why not take a few minutes out and ask Jesus how in the busyness of life you can find time to see through the crowds and piles of work to notice those little distractions that God might be putting in your way! You never know, a simple five-minute conversation that interupts your day might be just what one of your mates needed!

Have fun reading the other articles this month.

See you soon.

Dan
editor@soulsurvivor.com