Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream and does not fear when heat comes for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.

Jeremiah 17:7-9 (ESV)

 

Busyness is the biggest obstacle to a life of following Jesus.

When we use the excuse of not having enough time or energy, we compromise our faith for our selfish desires. Busyness, after all, is essentially about misplaced priorities and a failure to realise what truly matters. If we do not put God first, our relationship with Him will become indifferent and lukewarm. Then there will always be something to distract us from God and what we are called to do.

The God-given purpose of life is fruitfulness, not busyness.

If we fail to be fruitful by abiding in God, we may well exhaust ourselves trying to stay ahead of everyone else. This explains why, despite having the Holy Spirit dwelling within them, so many Christians suffer from the strain of burnout and stress. It is not because they are doing too much for Jesus, but because they are receiving too little from Him.

To break the stronghold of busyness and distractions, we must first prioritise hearing and obeying God. We can all hear God because He is always speaking to us throughout the day. Moreover, God has given us His Spirit and Scripture to guide our hearts towards Him.

According to the Prophet Jeremiah, we are blessed and fruitful when we live in God’s economy of abundance and unlimited supply. There is nothing to be anxious or worried about as long as we stay rooted and grounded in God’s unfailing love and promises. Instead of being busy, we get to live a life that is abundantly fruitful because we rest in Jesus.