Today I am excited to introduce you to our guest, Dr. Ann. Here is a little bit about Dr. Ann:
Dr. Ann is a Christian M.D., wife to her wonderful husband, and mom to a terrific gang of three. At The Marriage Checklist Ann blogs about marriage, motherhood, and more! She is syndicated on Crosswalk.com, and has been featured onBlogHer.com, MichaelHyatt.
You can read more from Dr. Ann at The Marriage Checklist
(photo credit: two bee)
Dr. Ann writes:
A little while back, I noticed I was getting into a not-so-great habit.
Whenever I’d greet friends and they would ask “How are you doing?”, I would say:
“Fine…,”
followed quickly by:
“But, boy, things are busy!”
After awhile of doing this, I finally began to hear what I was actually saying. What was going on? Was I just making small talk, or was there something else?
At first glance, maybe it just didn’t seem as exciting to answer the question “How’s it going?” with:
“I’ve got absolutely nothing going on. I’m bored stiff! I wish I had something to do!”
But the truth was a little darker than that.
The truth was that busyness had become my badge of honor.
Here’s how it played out in my mind:
If I was busy, then surely that meant I was being productive. And if I was being productive/achieving/
Right?
Of course, there are seasons in life when bu
sy just comes at you. There are fires to put out: financial, emotional, and physical. But I realized that I’d been creating more fires than were really necessary. I had become used to bustling around and doing, not resting or being.
But then came the dilemma:
Busyness is an endless loop. If it’s a ticket to my self-worth, then it’s a treadmill that never stops. Sooner or later, exhaustion and depletion set in.
Have you ever heard the acronym for B.U.S.Y.? Being Under Satan’s Yoke. I don’t think it’s too dramatic to say that I believe busyness has become a weapon of mass distraction. We’re so overbooked that there’s little or no time left over for the things that matter most. Our schedules chip away at our time with God. At our time with the people we love.
So, what did I do about it?
Psalm 127:1 pointed me towards my true north: Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain.
I resolved to stop building and laboring, both in vain as well as vainly.
I decided to become intentional, daily seeking God’s top priorities in my life. I’ve realized that His priorities are not about accomplishments. They are about relationships.
This will be an on-going journey, I can tell. Probably a life-long journey.
But I’ve got time.
Now that I’m not quite so busy.
What do you do to fight the tide of busyness?
Blessings, Dr. Ann
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