PROMPTINGS: Too busy to...

One of the badges of honor we sometimes wear on our lapels is our "busy-ness." Ask someone how they're doing and nine times out of ten the response is "Fine, but I'm sooooo busy!" We have made busy-ness in our culture a symbol of self-worth with the personal evaluation going something like this… if you're busy you must be in demand by others and so be worth a lot. If you're not "busy" you must not be in demand and so are worth little.

Jesus went through periods of "busy-ness" with crowds pressing against him seeking healing. But ask Jesus how he was doing and I can't imagine him saying, "Things are busy!" In fact, Jesus took time, important time, to retreat from the pressing crowds and spend time with God.

Some in our culture might view that as a huge waste of time. Some of US might reveal similar attitudes about alone time with God if made to show our PDA calendars! Christians talk a big talk about prayer, but if you're like me, prayer gets pushed to the side of the schedule for just about any other activity. A phone call MUST be returned right now! I'll pray AFTER I get back from the gym. I'll say a QUICK prayer on my way to lunch with a client. Deep, intimate prayer with God is not something that we miss, until… well, until we realize that our busy-ness doesn't really have anything to do with our self-worth. In fact, our mad rush to get things done seems to take away from any sense that I have a spiritual center.

I read of a pastor of a three thousand member church whose attitude was that he would work only 40 hours a week… and 35 of those 40 hours were spent in prayer. WOW! You mean that a pastor… a gospel teacher… someone who gives pastoral care and is on call 24/7… someone responsible for the "business" of the church would find the time… indeed MAKE the time to be alone with God? Imagine that!

What has happened to those who have been called to a vocation of prayer? Are we listening to the song of the Psalmist who sings, "Be still… and know that I am God." I wonder if we can ever know God WITHOUT first being still. This means pushing the PDA and Day-timer to the side… turning OFF the cell-phone… sitting in a quiet place in your home where you won't be distracted and just speaking to God.

I have to confess that I'm fortunate. The Ministry Center at Promise Church is a perfect prayer spot. It's quiet, with just enough natural light that I can be still… and pray… and be in the presence of God. It's awesome! It's beautiful! It is centering and healing to be before God in complete quiet. It's enough to make me desire deeply to spend as much time in the presence of God as I possibly can and to put aside the "busy-ness" of church work. My thoughts become crystal clear and I can hear, sometimes faintly, other times loudly the voice of God declaring His purpose for my life, providing me with incredible strength and vision for my God-given purpose and calling. Ahhh, you say, but in a world where there are so many demands, so much hurt, so much work that presses in on me, so much to "do"... is all that prayer a responsible use of one's time?

You tell me.

God bless,