Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Busyness”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “Above all, fear the Lord and worship Him faithfully with all your heart, considering the great things He has done for you.” 1 Samuel 12:24 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “Prepare your heart for worship”.

 

I’ve always been attracted to monasteries. Maybe it has something to do with my Catholic upbringing. I’ve never actually been to a monastery but I’ve read books and stories, journals and devotional messages written by people who have.

 

You don’t have to be a monk or a nun to go there. Most monasteries offer regular folks the opportunity to visit for a quiet retreat. That’s the thing that I find attractive about the thought of going to one – a period of time secluded from the world. No televisions, computers, or cell phones, just long hours of quiet reflection in a beautiful old cathedral, followed by more hours of hiking through the woods, or sitting beside a lake, or sleeping.

 

Most of us are too busy in the way we practice our faith. We rush through our times of prayer and Bible reading. Then we squeeze in a little time for a ministry activity. When we gather on Sunday mornings there’s lots of laughing, joking, talking, singing, listening to a sermon, and then we rush off to lunch. But there’s little time of quiet reflection. Sometimes it seems as if we just barge into the presence of the Lord like a noisy group of chattering teenagers.

 

Don’t get me wrong, I love the happy and friendly atmosphere of joyful fellowship. That’s a sign of a healthy church family. But we need to be careful our church time doesn’t get so noisy and busy that we don’t spend time thoughtfully and prayerfully preparing our hearts to enter into a time of worship. This is what the Old Testament prophet Samuel was calling for in 1 Samuel 12:24 – a time of thoughtful reflection faithfully preparing your heart and considering all the great things He has done for you.

 

As you prepare yourself to go to church this Sunday I encourage you to spend time beforehand quietly and prayerfully preparing your heart. Think deeply about God and all that He has done for you. Consider His greatness and His majesty. Spend the time to properly prepare yourself for entering into His presence in deep and meaningful worship.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Busyness”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you; plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

 

Our thought for today: “God has a plan.”

 

I have a good friend who I don’t want to embarrass so I’ll just identify him by his initials which are “Mike Sims”. A couple of years ago my friend (whose initials are “Mike Sims”) was going through a time of transition in his life. He had had great success in his professional life and had risen to a high position in a prominent corporation. But times change, economies change, companies change, and at midlife Mike found himself having to make a career change. It was a somewhat confusing time for him.

 

So I loaned him a book from my library (which he never returned by the way, but it’s ok. Really, it’s ok).  The title of the book (which I don’t have anymore) was “Halftime” by Bob Buford. In that book Bob explains that sometimes we reach a point in life where big adjustments are necessary. But rather than that being a bad thing God can turn it into something very good. We just need to turn the situation over to Him and then allow Him to lead us through it. (That book is so good and so helpful, and such a good one to have in your library, that I think I’ll buy myself another copy of it.)

 

Well my friend (known only by the initials “Mike Sims”) handled his situation correctly – he turned it over to God and trusted fully in Him for the outcome. The result was not just a better job, but a better life. In terms of quality of life in all the important ways, like time with family, strong faith, good health, Mike’s life ended up even better than it was before.

 

All kidding aside, I love Mike as a brother in Christ and I’m proud to call him my friend (even if he doesn’t return books). His is a great example of how God can take our overly busy lives, rearrange things, and lead us to something much better.

 

As you need to make decisions about important changes that really do need to occur, it’s imperative that you walk lock-step with God all the way through it. His plan is good and His plan is perfect. So make sure it is His plan that you are seeking.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Busyness”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.” 1 Corinthians 12:4-7 (NIV)

 

Our thought for today: “Be busy with the work God has called you to.”

 

Each year at this time at Oak Hill Baptist Church we ask all of our members to prayerfully consider what church ministry they will serve in when the new church year begins in September. We believe that God has equipped every person to serve in some manner. So we provide our people with a list of all the different ministry opportunities available, we ask them to select one or more, and then to commit to serve in that way for one year.

 

In 1 Corinthians 12:4-7 that we read above Paul explains that there are many different kinds of service that are needed, and that the Holy Spirit has given every person skills and abilities to perform one or more of those services. He also says that it is for the common good. We all benefit when each person is serving in the way in which God has called and equipped them.

 

This is an important lesson and so Paul taught it several times in different letters. In Romans chapter twelve he compared the church to a physical body. Just as the physical body has many different parts, and each part has a unique function and is needed, so too in the church there are many different people with many different skills and abilities. All are important and all are needed in order for the body to function properly.

 

In Luke 2:49, when asked by His parents why He was doing the things He was doing the boy Jesus answered, “I must be about My Father’s business.” Yes, that was true of Him and it’s true of us as well. This is something we should all be busy with.

 

As you give thought to the things you should be busy with (and the things you shouldn’t), it’s important to consider what skills and abilities God has developed in you, and how you should be using those skills and abilities for the benefit of others and for the common good. As you establish and perhaps rearrange your priorities in life don’t lose sight of the fact that God gave you the skills and abilities you have for a purpose, and in the Bible He has clearly and repeatedly instructed us to use those skills and abilities in His service. Ministry is something that should be high on your list of priorities. It’s something you should be busy with.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Busyness”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “He answered, ‘I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.” Matthew 15:24 (NIV)

 

Our thought for today: “God has called you to do some things, but He has not called you to do everything.”

 

In Matthew 15:21-28 we read about the faith of a Canaanite woman who came to Jesus pleading with Him to cast a demon out of her young daughter. Amazingly Jesus said “no”. He explained that casting demons out of gentile girls was not His mission. He told her that He had been sent by God to minister to the lost sheep of Israel. But the woman pleaded with Him all the more, even argued with Him! Jesus then reversed course and cast the demon out of the girl as the mother had requested.

 

It’s a confusing passage for many reasons, especially since we know that Jesus was sent for more than just the Jews. He was sent to make salvation possible for all mankind. Bible scholars debate what we should take away from this passage. For one thing we should certainly be impressed with the faith and boldness of the Canaanite woman.

 

But I think there’s another lesson in this too, one that pertains to our own theme of busyness. Jesus knew exactly what He was supposed to be doing, and He also knew what He was not supposed to be doing. His ministry was to be focused in Israel on the Jews. That was the starting place. Later His followers would expand the reach of Christianity beyond Israel and out into the gentile world, but it was others who were to do that, not Jesus Himself.

 

There’s a lesson in that for us. God has called you to do some things, but He has not called you to do everything. Many of us seem to think it is our responsibility to try to do everything.  But the truth is that God has called you and equipped you to do some things, and then He has called and equipped others to do things that you are not called and equipped to do.

 

This is a liberating truth. Once we understand the things that are our responsibility it frees us to say “no” to things that rightly belong to someone else. And you do need to say “no” to the things that are not yours. If you don’t, others will gladly let you do your work and theirs as well.

 

It is true that if others are not doing their part, and if you don’t then do it for them, there are some things that might not get done. That’s unfortunate. But it’s also true that if you keep doing for others what they should be doing themselves, you will get overwhelmed and burned out and ineffective. So you need to stay focused on what does belong to you and let God deal with those people who might be shirking their responsibilities.

 

There’s an old Hungarian saying that goes “Not my circus, not my monkeys”. It means that not everything is your responsibility. While it is true that sometimes it is your circus and those are your monkeys, it’s also true that it is just as often not the case. So when it is somebody else’s circus you need to let them be the ringmaster, let them coral those monkeys. Then you can sit back and relax, eat popcorn, and enjoy the show.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Busyness”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “And the boy Samuel continued to grow in stature and in favor with the Lord and with people.” 1 Samuel 2:26 (NIV)

 

Our thought for today: “Stay focused on God.
As we continue thinking about the problem of busyness, we have moved away from thinking about the causes of our busyness and the damage excessive busyness causes, and we have begun considering how to handle our busyness.

 

I believe an important part of the answer can be found in the contrasting examples of two ancient leaders of Israel. Both of their names begin with “S”. They both appear in the Old Testament book of 1 Samuel, and both of them led busy lives. They are Samuel and Saul.

 

The example of Samuel is positive and inspiring. From his earliest days his unwavering devotion to God was the foundation upon which his life was built. Also, it was always the starting place for Samuel- God came first, obedience to His commands was not optional, and everything else in his life grew out of that. From there he went about his daily duties of leading the people in worship, and providing wise counsel and good judgment in the administration of the affairs of the nation, and everything else that went along with being a busy leader. But it all started with God, and Samuel never lost sight of that.

 

Saul was different. His example is mostly negative and it’s one we need to be sure we don’t follow. Saul began well, he was humble and obedient. But he quickly drifted from his spiritual roots, began depending on his own wisdom, engaged in lots of behaviors that went against God’s clear commands, rationalized his behavior, and came to a sad and disgraceful end. You can read his sorry story in the book of 1 Samuel.

 

Samuel and Saul were both busy men with important duties. The primary difference between them was that Samuel remained focused on God first and foremost, and Saul did not. In his busyness he lost sight of what was most important, and his life quickly became very messy.

 

The lesson here for us is that regardless of how busy we are, first and foremost we have to stay true to God. He is our firm foundation and our anchor. He is the one who will keep our head screwed on straight and our thinking clear.

 

Unfortunately, for many people, rather than holding tightly to the practice of their faith, as the busyness of life increases they begin to make excuses for not praying, or reading the Bible, or attending the regular gatherings of their church family. After all, they’re just so busy!

 

Wrong! Worst possible thing you could do. God isn’t your problem He’s your answer. If you’re too busy for praying and Bible study and church attendance then my friend you are entirely too busy! And, you are now officially drifting. You are following the path of Saul rather than that of Samuel.

 

As you attempt to get control of your busyness I encourage you to remember that the faithful and obedient practice of your faith needs to be the foundation of your life, the starting place for every other activity in your life, and it has to be non-negotiable. Everything else is of lesser importance.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Busyness”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “The one who works his land will have plenty of food, but whoever chases fantasies lacks sense.” Proverbs 12:11 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “You should work hard and well.”

 

As I write this it is Monday morning and most of us are beginning a new work week. As we continue thinking about the issue of “busyness” we can easily be tempted to think that our job is a problem and a major source of our busyness. In many cases that could be true, and we will talk about it more in a moment, but a job is actually a good thing and it is a blessing from God.

 

It has always been God’s intention that we would work in order to provide for ourselves and for our families. It began with Adam in the Garden of Eden. We read in Genesis 2:15, “The Lord God took the man and placed him in the Garden of Eden to work it and watch over it.” Then throughout scripture productive work is always portrayed as a good thing – Proverbs 12:11 being just one example.

 

So the problem isn’t having a job, the problem is when the job becomes too important to you and you give it too much of your time and attention; or when your employer begins making unreasonable demands upon your time. That’s when a good thing begins to become a bad thing because it causes the rest of your life to get out of balance. That then creates new problems.

 

I’ve written in previous devotional messages about a syndrome the Japanese call “Karoshi”. “Karoshi” is a Japanese word that means “death from overwork” and it’s becoming more and more of a problem in Japanese society. Japanese culture creates a lot of pressure to be seen as successful, and there is such a strong desire among the Japanese people to earn lots of money in order to acquire lots of consumer goods, that men and women allow their lives to be defined by, and consumed by, their jobs. They end up working long hours under tremendous pressure to meet unrealistic expectations. They eat fast food on the run, get little exercise, they don’t get enough sleep, they use too much alcohol, smoke too many cigarettes, battle relentless traffic, and ignore their families.

 

As a result they end up with high blood pressure, lung cancer, and a wide range of other degenerative diseases. The suicide rater in Japan is very high and it is increasing. They’re killing themselves by overworking.

 

It is true that you should have a job and you should work hard and well. But don’t kill yourself doing it. Keep your work in its proper place. Don’t allow your job to define, monopolize, or consume the rest of your life.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Busyness”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “Be still, and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10

 

Our thought for today: “Give yourself a break.”

 

Sometimes the best thing you can do is nothing. That’s right. Sometimes the best thing you can do is to do nothing at all. I know that seems counterintuitive but it’s true. Well, maybe a better way to put it would be that rather than being busy with endless activities, a better use of your time would be to simply sit still and rest for a while.

 

That’s the point God was making in Psalm 46:10. In this verse He is essentially calling us to rest. This is important because we can easily get caught in the trap of thinking that the only time we’re being productive is when we’re in the process of accomplishing some task. But the truth is that sometimes the best thing to do is to just stop all the activity and sit quietly with the Lord for a while. I’ve often told others (and myself) that when you’re tired, stressed, stretched thin and feeling overwhelmed, sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do is to take a nap.

 

We know this and yet we don’t do it. At least we don’t do it enough. I’m preaching to myself here. I’m always making excuses for my busyness, and I convince myself that I really don’t have a choice but to keep going and just push through it. But that’s wrong. We all have a choice about this. And there’s a reason God gave us Psalm 46:10.

 

My profession (Pastor) is one of the highest turnover professions there is. According to LifeWay Church Resources Research Division, only 10% of pastors stay in the profession long enough to retire from it. At some point 90% give-up and quit. One of the top reasons is burnout. I know this is true, and I have a deep desire to be in the 10% that makes it all the way, yet I continue to make excuses for my busyness and I often disregard the Lord’s clear instruction to dial it back a bit every once in a while.

 

But this applies to you too. You’re too busy too. And you make excuses for it too. Did I mention that sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do is to take a nap? Or a vacation. Or at least an extra day off.

 

As the people of God we are to live productive lives that includes meaningful labor, and we are to be involved in ministry that blesses the Lord and other people. But we’re also to have a healthy balance that includes plenty of rest and relaxation. It’s the rest and relaxation part that most of us need to get better at. Give yourself a break. You’ll be better and you’ll last longer if you do.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

 

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Busyness”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:41-42 (NIV)

 

Our thought for today: “Good can be the enemy of best”

 

In our effort to understand how we end up becoming so busy, yesterday we began considering the story of Mary, Martha, and Jesus, as recorded in Luke 10:38-42. Jesus came for a visit. Mary sat down to enjoy His company, but Martha immediately began busying herself with chores. Mary and Jesus were in the living room talking and laughing. Martha was in the kitchen banging pots and pans. Soon Martha began resenting her busyness while others were relaxing, and she said so. In today’s passage we read Jesus’ response.

 

Please note that Jesus did not say that there was anything wrong or bad about cooking a meal and serving your friends. Those things are good when they are done at the proper time and with the proper attitude. In His response to Mary, Jesus simply pointed out that as nice as it was for her to want to prepare a meal for them, sitting quietly with Him and enjoying His presence would be a better use of her time at that moment. Preparing and serving is good, but not if it sours your disposition, creates anxiety, and causes resentment. It also isn’t good if it’s taking you away from something better.

 

The same is true of so many other things that we fill our lives up with. Working hard and earning a living to support yourself and your family is good, but becoming a workaholic is not good. Hobbies and recreational activities are good, but not if they get in the way of more important things. Sometimes our priorities get a little skewed and something that may be good and is therefore ok in and of itself, begins to get in the way of things that are more important and better.

 

As a Pastor I’ve spent a lot of time with people who were dying. During those hours sitting at bedsides listening to them talk, I’ve often heard dying people say they wished they had spent more time with their family, or done a better job of taking care of their health, or spent more time involved in ministry activities. But I’ve never heard anyone say they wished they had spent more time at work.

 

What activities is your life filled up with? And are those activities getting in the way of things that are more important? It’s a compelling and convicting question that deserves some prayerful consideration. Sometimes “good” becomes the enemy of “best”.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

 

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Busyness”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “But Martha was distracted by her many tasks …” Luke 10:40 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “Don’t give-in to tyranny.”

 

This morning in our discussion about “busyness” I want to shift our focus away from the question of whether or not we’re too busy – we already know we are. I’m also not going to talk about the damage done to us and to those close to us as a result of us being too busy – that point has already been made. Instead I would like us to think about why we tend to get too busy.

 

A few days ago I wrote about the phenomena the military calls “mission creep”. Mission creep happens when you begin with a clear objective in mind but as you’re pursuing that objective other issues pop up which appear important to you, and so you add them into your mission. But if that keeps happening, over time you will have added so many new pieces to your original objective that you end up distracted, off track, and usually overwhelmed. Once that happens, you need to shift your focus back to your original mission and cut out much of what got added in as you went along.

 

In the story of Mary and Martha we find another reason we get too busy. It’s known as “The tyranny of the urgent”. It’s when some seemingly “urgent” thing takes on the appearance of being important simply because it seems urgent. A ringing telephone is a good example. Because it is making noise and therefore demanding your attention, it could seem important. But unless that call is an emergency, it might not be more important than whatever else you’re dealing with in that moment. But even still, because the phone is ringing you will be strongly tempted to stop the important thing you’re doing and give the phone the attention it demands. That’s the tyranny of the urgent.

 

In our story in Luke chapter ten Martha succumbed to the tyranny of the urgent. Her friend Jesus had stopped by for a visit and Martha decided that she needed to fix Him a meal. Now please note that Jesus didn’t request a meal, and there’s no indication that He was even hungry. All he wanted was spend some time with His friends. But Martha decided for herself that she needed to prepare a meal for Him. But in the process she was missing out on the good conversation and the good times with Jesus. And she resented it. And she became flustered. And then she became angry. And then she mouthed-off.

 

In response Jesus gently pointed out to her that she had allowed herself to get all wrapped up doing things that really weren’t that important, and as a result she was missing out on that which really was important. She was being driven by, being tyrannized by, that which seemed urgent but which really wasn’t.

 

You and I do this all the time, and we end up a lot like Martha. Years ago there was a great little book written by Joanna Weaver entitled “Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World.” I love this book! It’s all about those of us who really want to just sit quietly with Jesus, but we simply can’t resist the perceived need to be in the kitchen banging pots and pans. Because after all, there are things that need our attention, right?

 

Let me ask you: “Are you Mary or Martha?” “Is your life characterized by the tyranny of the urgent and, how’s that working for you?” Maybe it’s time to just let that telephone ring; maybe you should just order pizza instead of cooking a meal; maybe some things aren’t really as important as you think they are.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Busyness”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “When I considered all that I had accomplished and what I had labored to achieve, I found everything to be futile and a pursuit of the wind. There was nothing to be gained under the sun.” Ecclesiastes 2:11 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “Is it worth it?”

 

Some of you are old enough to remember the hit song from 1969 “Take a letter, Maria”. It was song by singer R.B. Greaves and it was about an accomplished professional man who had given so much time and attention to his job that he neglected his wife. One night he came home to discover that during his frequent extended absences his wife had been having a love affair with another man.

 

In the song this man is now dictating a letter to his secretary, Maria, informing his wife that he is divorcing her. But the lyrics are also a form of explanation to Maria as he described how he ruined his marriage by giving too much time to his job. All those years he been very busy, but he had been busy with the wrong things. And in the end he lost that which should have been most important to him, his marriage.

 

In Ecclesiastes 2:11 we hear from King Solomon near the end of his life. He was an old man and in many ways he had been very successful in life. But to hear him tell it now, he had been excessively busy with things that ultimately didn’t matter much. He wrote, “I found everything to be futile and a pursuit of the wind.”

 

Stories like King Solomon and the man in R.B. Greave’s song are far too common. People spend years of their lives busily pursuing things that don’t matter much in the long run, and all the while they neglect the things that should be the most important to them such as their marriage, or their children, or their health. It’s the old story of the person who spent most of their life climbing the ladder of success only to get to the top and discover the ladder was leaning against the wrong wall.

 

For a few more days we’re going to continue giving thought to how and why we tend to get busy with the wrong things. Then we will shift our focus to being busy with the right things. But for now, I want to encourage each of us to give careful thought to what it is we’re allowing ourselves to be so busy with. And then prayerfully consider if maybe some changes need to be made.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim