Let’s face it: People are busy and it affects ministry. Some of our busyness stems from the season of life in which we find ourselves. But some of it is because we’ve bought into the lies about busyness that Satan would have us believe. His goal is to render us ineffective in order to hinder the work of God in and through us. If we want our own lives, as well as the lives of those in our Body, to make an eternal difference, we need to combat the lies. — The topic of the next post. (You can subscribe to receive e-mail updates about new posts.)
The Effects of Being Too Busy
When trying to recruit people for ministry we often hear excuses for why they can’t get involved with busyness frequently at the top of the list. They may already be overcommitted and stressed. Or, perhaps they see Sundays as their only day to sleep in. A busy life may be the reason those you have already recruited aren’t properly prepared for their ministries or why they fail to attend staff and training meetings. Perhaps it’s why some walk the opposite direction or avoid eye contact when they see you coming for fear you’ll ask them to get involved in some way. It even affects people nurturing their own walk with the Lord which means they’re not as spiritually fit to serve.
Busyness also affects us as leaders in our own lives. Being busy with ministry responsibilities can be one of the biggest culprits for why we neglect our own personal time with the Lord, that which strengthens and sustains us (Jn. 15:1-5). We might also neglect important relationships in our lives like family. Eventually it catches up with us.
Specific Ways Busyness Affects Ministry
With the end goal of destroying the work of God in and through people’s lives, “the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Pet. 5:8). If he can’t get us completely off track, then he’ll be happy to at least render us less effective.
We can get so focused on our busyness that it distracts us. We become anxious, stressed, and overwhelmed. If we don’t redirect to the Lord, we’ll no longer operate from a place of His peace “which transcends all understanding” and guards our heart and minds in Christ Jesus (Phil. 4:6-7). We then get rattled by the littlest things letting them upset our day. Soon it spills over into the way we treat others. We become more critical of them if we don’t feel they’re doing their part (Lk. 10:38-42).
If the enemy can get us to burn ourselves out, it will render us less effective and more susceptible to bad attitudes and faulty perspectives because we’re just not as spiritually alert as we should be. Certainly there’s a reason 1 Peter 5:8 about Satan being on the prowl begins with “be alert and of sober mind”. It’s too easy to fall prey. And so we read verses like …
“Put on the full armor of God …” (Eph. 6:10-15) — a deliberate act
“We demolish strongholds … and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” (2 Cor. 8:4-5) — a purposeful act
We can’t passively “stand against the devil’s schemes” (Eph. 6:11). We must be deliberate and purposeful which will require that we be spiritually alert.
For More on These Topics:
All Posts about Time Management:
- Disciple-Making Schedules
- Sustainable Schedules
- Prioritized Schedules: The Number One Priority
- Prioritized Schedules: The Second Priority
- Accountable Schedules
- Spiritually Blessed Schedules
- Spiritually Productive Schedules
- Hindrances to Spiritual Productivity
- Time for One Another
- Christ-like Schedules are Purposeful
- Time Managed by the Gospel
- Tips for Gospel-oriented Time Management
- Grace for These Times and How You Manage Your Schedule
- The Difference Grace Makes in How We Manage Time
- The Spirit Helps Us Manage Time
- How Spiritual Gifts Help with Time Management
- Busyness Affects Ministry
- Combatting the Lies about Busyness
- Too Busy to Pray?
- Biblical Prayers about Time Usage
- Good Stewards of Our Time
- Managing Time in the Name of the Lord
- Let God’s Word Guide the Use of Your Time