A Soul-Destroying Busyness

Strong warning from Pastor Jenny Greer use things in your life that are as damaging and is potentially soul destroying as busyness and the real tragedy is you never see it coming.

Busyness that will destroy your joy, cripple your capacity to love and it is busyness, which will cause you to lose your ability to even hear from God and it might after religion.

I'm your host Molly events talking about a topic that's good to resonate with just about everyone, busyness, whether you're juggling high school AP classes and friends young parent trying to keep up with all the household demands or you're an employee trying to find the worklife balance. We all find ourselves wishing there were more hours in the day that Pastor Jenny reminds us today why it's so important to make space in our calendars for God to move it's part of our series titled God and the rest of the week. If you missed any of the previous messages you can get caught up@jdgreer.com. Today's message is titled a soul destroying busyness on talk about a problem that most all of us have but one that you have probably never heard a sermon on before and that is the problem of busyness and the reason that you have never heard a sermon on it before, is that I am your pastor, one of our elders told me, he said. I'm not sure you're the guy that I'll be given the sermon. He said you know you preach a sermon on busyness is like Richard Sir Sherman preaching a sermon on loving your enemies or on showing discretion and restraint. I will tell you right up front. I am not self-righteous about this. I would say that if there is with a single out five people in this and this church that needed this counsel.

I would be at the top of that list. So please hear that without acknowledgment we are busy people. We are busy with our jobs guide more than 86 prewriting 6% of men and 67% of women work more than 40 hours a week at their job yet. Two thirds of them say they still don't have enough time to get everything done in the week, only 57% of Americans use all of their allotted vacation.this is got negative effects not just on our families who suffer from overwork, but also just on us personally.

CNN did a six-year study of 2500 different workers and they found that those who work 11 hour days or 2 1/2 times more likely to become depressed and does work nearly 8 hour days on top of that we are not getting enough sleep, which has its own bad effects on on us. As you know, the average American gets about two hours last sleep per night and recommended which leads all kinds of problems of obesity, diabetes, lack of concentration and efficiency and more depression on super busy at work when I get enough sleep or not taken vacation time and that some of you have kids, which adds new layers of business to your life. I was listening to Jim Gaffigan who has four kids like I do and he said people often asked me was it like to go from three kids to four kids is a three just forget is that okay imagine your drowning and then someone hands you a baby. He said that's what that transition is like. So you're busy.

I get that I'm busy we are busy people and to be totally frank with you. Our future does not look like it's getting any less busy. First of all whatever stage of life. You feel like you are insanely busy. If you could just get to the next one will be much more relaxed. I certainly felt like that in college as a man I could just get married and have a family of a job, Kids and not have all these classes to study for life would be so easy. I break it to you college students.

This is the most relaxed time of your life. I know you feel busy. I did too but it does not get any better. I am will tell you that class. We have all these supposedly labor and time-saving devices which don't seem to be actually doing the trick is also a New York Times article that said when we went on vacation 30 years ago used to be like an on-off switch is it now because of all these giveaways were connected. It's more like a dimmer switch if anything right. There was, there are now infamous study that was presented to Congress back in the 1960s and the study claimed before Congress that with all these new laborsaving devices that were being invented within 30 years. They said the average American would only work 15 hours a week in the government's main problem would be how to fill up all the free time that people had on their hands is that anybody problem right now anything that comes true for anybody but certainly not mine. So this is our God, and the rest of the week series and ended by talking about something that really affects everything else and that is how you set up your calendar for the glory of God in a way that will not kill you make a rather strong statement to you, but I'll stand behind it.

There are few things in your life that are as damaging and as potentially soul destroying as busyness and the real tragedy is you never see it coming. Blaise Pascal, a philosopher of three, 400 years ago one of my favorite said that listener that he said busyness since more people are held in unbelief, even after your Christian I hope so yesterday it's busyness that will destroy your joy. It is busyness that will cripple your capacity to love and it is busyness, which will cause you to lose your ability to even hear from God. Jesus told a story in the Bible about busyness. Maybe you've never thought of this story in that way, but that is exactly what I believe it is about you have a Bible and love you take it out of power mountain down to Luke chapter 10 Luke chapter 10 we are going to begin. Luke chapter 10 verse 38, and it goes like this now as they went on their way baby and the disciples. Jesus entered a village and a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house and she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listen to his teaching, but Martha was distracted with much serving in other words, he was really really busy and so she Marco went up to Jesus and said, Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone.

Tell her to help me right now she's dovetailing day she fell self-righteous B announces bossing Jesus around right, which is not a good habit to get into this were talking three strike fear. Verse 41, but the Lord answered her, Martha, Martha, this is by the way, not a way of showing discussed her impatience. Whenever you repeat a name in Hebrew.

It's a way of showing intense emotion like putting a lot! After Martha's name. In other words, this is very important you are anxious and you are troubled about many things but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her. Many commentators have suspected that in this story. You have two different personality types that are being presented. Martha is what we now refer to as tight a. She is task oriented.

She get stuff done. Mary is type whatever the other letter is she is, people oriented. She just likes to hang out and everyone likes to be around her that my true, but I am pretty confident that Jesus is not in this story, trying to indicate that he prefers the Mary personality best, he created both personality types and he's got a purpose for about and he is certainly not saying that no one should ever be busy preparing meals that we should all just sit around all day every day doing our quiet times that would go against so many other things, the Scripture teaches one of the spiritual gifts that God gives us serving and hospitality. There is no way that you can read the Gospels and not concluded Jesus was an incredibly busy man invite the gospel market uses the word immediately.

Over and over again throughout the gospel immediately when here immediately he went there. In other words, Jesus was a very busy person. Paul the apostle. After listing out of second Corinthians all the things that he was involved with exhibit what daily. I got all the pressures of all these churches that I have planted weighing down on me. Another place would say I worked harder than anybody that I knew. So he's not thinking that were not ever supposed to be busy so what years ago is why he bit on Martha, we see the world usually values Martha's more than they value Mary's, Martha's are usually considered to be great workers and great Christians. What's more is Martha's usually value themselves. A great deal and they also consider themselves to be great Christians. And so Jesus chooses to deal with a rather dangerous temptation for competent responsible Martha type of people. If you listen to this.

This is key just like it is harder for rich people to enter the kingdom of heaven. It's also harder for competent people to find the will of God. Just like it is harder for rich people to enter the kingdom of heaven.

It is harder for competent people define the will of God, and I want to tell you why in this message to. Here's what Jesus dies in the story you number one shatters a myth number two.

He confronts a fear in the number three. He points to a better way forward. Simple, right.

Here's the myth that he shatters busyness equals faithfulness, Jesus shatters a well entrenched, deeply held belief that is especially true in churches that busyness equals faithfulness. Many of us like to be busy because it is when we feel busy that we feel important and we feel needed and we feel valued by other people and even valued by God.

There is a myth that in churches all kinds of churches that if you're busy and you must be doing what God has told you to do Jesus and one story debunks that myth is no busyness does not equal faithfulness to number two.

He confronts a fear what drives Marcus busyness will drive fear humor says she's anxious. Anxious as a synonym for fear verse 41 so what are Martha's fears well if speculate a little bit here, but I'm sure it was the fear that cannot get done if I don't do it, probably to fear you everybody to think poorly of me is really just the girl that when Jesus came over dust bunnies all over the floor to play spots on her mirror laundry piles everywhere. You know I mean this is the girl that it had dinner prepared Martha's like you can do that when the son of God comes your house son of God can get your house am hungry you say it was about time you can do that right some Martha's busyness was driven by fear, fear going to get done.

Fear that about something badly of our before I tell you how Jesus confronts that fear. Let me get you to consider in allotting your business driven by the same fears we really think about it maybe need to do that this week. Think about your busyness and trace back whether or not a lot of it is not driven by your fears and chances are the same ones that drove Martha trying to please people scared of what they will say if they don't if you don't post the shower or do the extra work or volunteer to coach the team or bring the cupcakes, have a cuppa coffee with them or whatever they want. Maybe it's always trying to prove yourself you can never rest because you're always trying to prove something to your parents and older sibling and ex-girlfriend a high school coach. Maybe your self. There is a voice behind you and inside of you always say it's not good enough. You gotta keep working.

You got to do more maybe is this desire that you dislike to feel important, like I share with you, Abednego interesting in those studies and statistics I cited earlier about busyness Wall Street Journal did its own study on their studies and they said that a little investigation into these studies. As of this uncover the fact that a lot of people exaggerate the hours they work to prove that they are useful, so another work hurts sometimes we overwork because we like to feel useful and then we don't.

We lie about overworking because we want other people also think that we are useful, even when we are not writing this after maybe it's pride like on the only buddy I'm the only person you can do this on unique I'm special. I'm a snowflake and Isaiah got me the one who does this. Maybe it's a fear that if you don't keep up with everybody else you to miss out on life.

She always gotta take a second job, or the third job you always have to work the extra hours you always gotta get to the next rung on the latter two did not, you're not going be able to afford the things on your friends have and how could I possibly be good if you didn't drive this live bearable navigation so it's a fear that if you don't get hired at you to miss out on life. Or maybe it's the fear that if you don't pile up a lot now to be without in the future right so you always gotta be stored stuff away because it's never enough. And that's the tragedy of that is always one more emergency you're not know how to plan for. Maybe it's the fear that you're not doing enough to earn God's approval and you feel like maybe one day if I can ever just get myself a place like collapse from busyness completely burned out and I will say to God that I am God. I my own phone offering here I am pleased with me. Parents many of you are insanely busy taking your kids all over the place. Why wasn't driven by the fear that your kids are to fall behind a professor at George Mason University and is a great pleasure. I share this with you getting Brian Kaplan conducted an extensive study. He finally got a sample set large enough. He said to do this responsibly.

Extensive study on biological twins adopted by different families in the United States and he said we watch to make sure that one of the families was very active in all the extracurricular, hyper schedule. Gotta get up in their sterling at this and by Windermere also is a double one. And then the other one was family it really laid back, a holy annuity that stuff is that after tracing all these biological twins for years is that we can confidently say that having the kids involved in all these extracurricular activities made no statistical difference in how the kid turned out, it did not make any difference in where they got in the college.

It did not make any difference in how smart they became. It certainly did not make a difference in our emotional imbalance vacate. He said as long as the parent was involved as long as the parent was a good relationship with him is it it needs zero statistical difference is that what we did notice however is that the parents that were hyper schedule.

What did happen is they put on their kids what he called a secondhand stress like secondhand smoking of the parents might you inhale the stress of the parents and the worried parents got confused into the kids, and that's what caused emotional problem.

What I'm trying to tell you is a lot of us are driven by a fear that if we don't have our kids hyper schedule at all these things that are kindred in a ball behind. Now I we could you just wanted to wait I'm sure I'm doing the statistical way gluttons of what you believe. It doesn't make any difference. He said he just came out they were smart they just came there were good athletics. They figure that out in seventh grade and started to do that. Many said this is a this is what I think a Ouija house is what we will start easy never told you that in America we like to have our kids experience rich, even if it means the relationally poor medic units in the Bible you would reverse those that you can have your kids experience poor, so long as there relationally rich because relationally rich ends up having more of a significant effect on the formation of your child, then having them experience all the things that you want them to experience is that they don't get left behind number three that's the fear that he confronts are the way forward.

What is Jesus saying Martha Martha again. Repetition and intensity of emotion. What he says essentially is this Martha come be with me company with me. First of all, his approval is given as a gift. His approval is not given to you because you are insanely busy for him.

He gave it to you because Jesus person free.

Purchase it for you on across and God could not love you more.

Regardless of your level, busyness, or your suppose usefulness for the kingdom of God except you.

Because of the blood of his son present Mary my approvals gifting on the work to earn my approval cycle in all that we are striving for is in him. Jesus is a better source of identity basically saying her in me you have the absolute approval of the only one whose opinion really matters anyway so if you got my approval of I am Sadie.

Well done good and faithful servant and why you're busy trying to manage the opinions of everybody else.

Why are you upset about what people say about you say about your housekeeping, for they say about your ability to do your job. Why don't you think about my approval because my approval the only one who actually matters, it's a better source of identity one other people tell you what the son of God thinks about is more important than what human creatures.

Of course it is, is the bread of life, which reason we feast upon him when he have his joy.

That's what what fills our hearts. It's not having all the things in our friends have knowing that we know God. See Burkert things to say.

Nor is Jesus saying I'm on the competent so you don't need to be. I mean, think about this. Why is Martha stress about dinner in this the guy that can take a watchable and feed an entire stadium you think that Dustin I'm worried about what dinners you come from and I know there's a better way come to Jesus. Find your sufficiency in him and then do what he tells you to do the it's not that he saying don't work. He's just saying don't start with work. Start with me, Jesus told Martha listen that she had neglected the best thing best thing is not the only thing best thing means the first thing so you start at the feet of Jesus resting in him and hearing from him and then when he tells you to do something then you go and do it. Don't you think if Jesus had said to Mary. Did you go give me a couple water. I need you to make dinner go to McMurray what happened on that course you would've. She didn't start there. Martha started with works of the Dharma Jesus issue.

The question is not listen to this.

What needs to be done.

The question is what does he want me to do.

The question is not what needs to be done. The question is what does he want me to do. We live in a world of seemingly infinite need and so the question what needs to be done if we ask that and that's what drives our life will never get rest.

Jesus is our start there.

So with resting in me and asked me what you what you asked me what I want you to do a couple verses that we use in the past weeks I will pull out for you because they cannot capture this principle proffers three, five and six trust in the Lord with all your heart and all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight. Why I love that verse because it is so simple in telling me what is my responsibility and what is God's responsibility right it's frequent was my responsibility.

My responsibility is to trust the Lord all my heart and all my ways acknowledge him if he's arrested him and do what he tells me to do what is responsibility to make my past rate in the Lord to make everything come together, there's the other one.

Psalm 127 unless the Lord builds the house as you build it labor in vain unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman saves awakening. It's in vain that you rise up early and go like the rest the bread of anxious toil, for he gives to his beloved member.

This sleep and I asked you couple weeks because it what is the sign in this verse that you are beloved by God member. The answer was sleep. That's right. This Rovers implies, was in. This is important that you have a job during the day right here. The wonder that it's Garden City you watchman you once growing the crops, but there comes a point see it which your body has to sleep when you do that, there's this fear is of the board know what I think the crops because he never slumbers or sleeps in unknown have you not heard the Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth is nothing were weary gives power to the thing and to those who have no might he increases so you can do what you're supposed to do during the day and then sleep at night knowing that God is watching the city. God is right in the crops God's role in the family.

God bless the ministry God put you to sleep so that you can rest in him and rejoice in what he is told you to do and then leaving the rest to him. Martha is running out to get dinner to Carol to stop the one who multiplies fish and bread has got it under control busyness equal faithfulness. That phrase needs to go on the refrigerator to hear this message again or to share it with a friend or loved one.

Visit us online@jeanniegreer.com okay. Raise your hand if you're ready to see this year in your rearview mirror. I am raising my hand right now that everything we need to walk through times like we face this year everything that were looking for in this life can be found by understating the help in the piece found in Christmas first Christmas and we can hold onto that in times like were seen today. I'd like to invite everyone to join me in searching for this hope and peace through a new but that was just released by pastor Janie explores how Christmas offers us all that we truly need this year. We'd like to give you not just one copy of the bat, titled searching for Christmas but to we want everyone to be able to not only discover these truths themselves that to giveaway this book to someone else. You can use it and if just one extra copy isn't enough.

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