Let Down | What We Really Worship

Scripture Focus: Exodus 20:3

"You shall have no other gods before me." (Exodus 20:3, NIV)

Let's be honest about something. Being busy makes us feel important. When someone asks how we're doing and we respond with "Busy!" there's often a hint of pride in our voice. Like our busyness proves that we matter, that we're needed, that our lives have purpose and meaning.

And during the Christmas season, this gets even worse. We wear our busyness like a badge of honor. We compare calendars with friends and family, almost competing to see who has the most parties to attend, the most cookies to bake, the most gifts to buy. "Oh, you think you're busy? Let me tell you about my schedule..."

But sometimes our busyness isn't about getting things done. Sometimes our busyness is about avoiding things we don't want to face. Sometimes we stay busy because if we slow down, we might have to deal with uncomfortable thoughts or difficult emotions. Sometimes we stay busy because we're afraid of what might happen if we actually stopped long enough to think about our lives.

And, this may be hard to hear, but sometimes our busyness becomes a substitute for a real relationship with God.

Think about that for a minute. How often have we skipped our time with God because we were "too busy"? How many times have we told ourselves we'd pray later, after we finished everything on our to-do list? How many days have we gone without reading the Bible because we just didn't have time?

We'd never say we're choosing busyness over God. That sounds terrible. But that's exactly what we're doing when we consistently prioritize our tasks over spending time with Jesus. We're making busyness our god.

The first commandment God gave to Israel was simple: "You shall have no other gods before me." And while most of us aren't tempted to worship golden calves or bow down to statues, we find other things to put in God's place. Things like success, or money, or relationships, or approval from others.

Or busyness.

Because when we're constantly choosing to do one more thing instead of spending time with God, we're communicating what we really worship. We're showing what we really believe is most important. And it's not God.

Here's how you can tell if busyness has become an idol in your life. Ask yourself this question: If you suddenly had nothing on your calendar, no tasks to complete, no obligations to fulfill, how would you feel?

Would you feel relieved? Or would you feel anxious? Would you enjoy the rest? Or would you immediately start looking for things to do?

If the thought of not being busy makes you uncomfortable, that might be a sign that busyness has become more than just a necessary part of life. It might be a sign that it's become something you depend on, something you use to define yourself, something you worship.

And the thing about idols is that they always demand more from us. They're never satisfied. The god of busyness will never tell you that you've done enough. It will always demand one more thing, one more task, one more commitment. It will consume every minute you give it and demand more.

But God? God invites us to rest. God invites us to be still. God invites us to stop striving and know that he is God. God doesn't need us to be busy for him. He just wants us to be with him.

So maybe this Christmas, instead of adding one more thing to our calendars, we need to tear down the idol of busyness and replace it with the peace that comes from spending time with Jesus.

Reflection Questions:

• How do you feel when you're not busy? Peaceful or anxious?

• Have you been choosing busyness over spending time with God?

• What would it look like to make God your priority instead of your to-do list?

Prayer: Father, forgive us for making an idol out of busyness. Forgive us for believing that our worth comes from how much we accomplish instead of from you. Help us to tear down this idol and replace it with a genuine relationship with you. Teach us to rest in your presence. Show us that we don't have to earn your love by staying busy. Help us to be still and know that you are God. Amen.