Nowhere in Scripture will I find this command.

“Be busy, and know that I am God.”

My busyness does not please God. My faith pleases Him. And I can’t have faith and trust in someone I am too busy to know well. Day in and day out, I need to heed this truth:

“Be still, and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10

I have a remarkable role model named Jesus for how to balance busyness and priorities. Jesus never allowed the tyranny of the urgent to supersede the ultimately more important reward of relationships. He didn’t feel the need to drive Himself to exhaustion to teach and preach.

“Then, leaving the crowds outside, Jesus went into the house.” Matthew 13:36

It is instructive that Jesus withdrew from the crowd (and the obligation I likely would have felt) to spend time with His disciples. The most important thing for Jesus was to prepare His disciples and not to “friend” several hundred people on an ancient FaceScroll. Clearly, it was valuable for Jesus to be teaching the crowds. But His relationship to His ministry “family” superseded the public gathering priority.

Jesus gave another example of schedule priorities:

“Immediately after this, Jesus insisted that his disciples get back into the boat and head across the lake to Bethsaida, while he sent the people home. After telling everyone goodbye, he went up into the hills by himself to pray.” Mark 6:45-46

Jesus understood that He must say no to people who really wanted His attention in order to spend time doing what mattered most. This passage follows Jesus’ miraculous feeding of five thousand people. If I had performed such a feat, I would have hung around for hours to soak up the praise and accolades, sign a few autographs, and take some selfies. But Jesus knew what He needed in that moment. Time with His Father.

I need to know when to say no. Busyness does not define my worth. Being a schedule martyr does not make me more righteous. Over-scheduling keeps me from spending time with the One who gives His righteousness to me.

Why does that happen time and time again to followers of Jesus? My personal belief is that one of the biggest and most damaging mistakes that the church makes with new believers is not teaching clearly and continually what happens when you put your faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. It seems that we too often get young Christians immediately into studies and activities, suggesting that change can happen only when you are trying hard and concentrating on the spiritual disciplines.

That was my struggle for forty years before I realized a simple truth. Dramatic change took place the moment I made that faith commitment to follow Jesus. Scripture tells me that when I decided to become a follower of Christ, the following things happened immediately:

·      I was given a new identity.

·      I became a new creation.

·      I received the gift of the righteousness of Christ.

I struggle with that concept because I am not always righteous in my behavior. That may well be the biggest understatement of my writing career. Here is the amazing theology of the gospel: God sees me as righteous and worthy because of my relationship with Jesus. Nothing I have done or ever will do could earn that righteousness. It is a gift of grace because of the finished work of Jesus on the cross.

I was changed completely when I put my trust in Christ as my only hope for salvation. I did not have to struggle with futile performance to change. I was changed that day. But it  took me forty years to know Him better, never realizing I had been carrying around the key to that kind of relationship since day one.

Now I see a different picture. I see Jesus standing at my side and explaining that I am completely changed. I see Him telling me that my sins are forgiven and I can quit relitigating past mistakes. I see Him explaining to me that all of those things that used to be true about me are no longer true. I see Him repeating that, because I tend to nod my head without really absorbing it.

He reminds me gently that I don’t have to grit my teeth and try harder to win favor and please Him. I hear Him remind me that power over sin is looking to Him for my strength and not trying to fight it with my busyness and resolve.

I see Jesus looking deeply into my eyes and tenderly expressing (again) that it is my trust in God that pleases Him. No other works are required. My faith is what pleases Him according to God’s Word. Nothing else.

I have a hard time putting my full weight on those truths. But I have learned that we can disabuse ourselves today of the notion that busyness is somehow related to godliness. Allow yourself time to spend with the most important people in your life. Schedule time with Jesus. Don’t allow guilt to monopolize your calendar. Carve out time for friends, family, and yourself.

If Jesus could leave disappointed throngs behind for what was important, we should withdraw for recharging and time with God too. Be still, and know that God loves you and desires you. Your actions will naturally emerge from that loving relationship with Him.

Reminder to myself.

I don’t have to earn that love. It is already mine. Forever.