I think something has crept into our thinking that says that busyness is the norm and busyness is good. It is at least expected of us. It makes us think that we are important - that we are needed - and that the world would probably stop revolving if we didn’t do all these things that we think needed to be done. When we are busy, we can see that things are getting accomplished. That is good - it is great! When we say, “I’m so busy,” it makes us feel like we’re getting a lot accomplished, whether or not that really is the case. This is what I’m calling the façade of busyness. It’s not really a lie - because we are convinced that we really are busy. And we really shouldn’t expect any different, because that is what we are told to be by our culture. I often feel like I should be busy, just so I don’t feel bad that I’m not as busy as everyone else. And so it perpetuates that I try to be busy so that I too can say, “I’m so busy.” Then I really do get busy and continue the cycle of busyness, never stopping to slow down.
In the recent issue of CBD, I was looking at the pastoral resources, and the majority of them were marketed to the “busy pastor.” There is so much to do during the week that you need this book or that resource to shortcut those things that take the most time. I think it is sad that such resources are necessary. I think it is even sadder that this is the mentality and the obviously expected life of the pastor. Having worked in the world of business for the last six years, it is very apparent that this is the expected life of the business person, too. Cram more in. Start earlier. Work later. Take work home. Drink more coffee to keep yourself going. We continue to enable the lie that busyness is good and the way things should be. That is not the way God designed us to be.
