We are a society of busyness. Agendas. Packing our schedules so full because we lack the ability to prioritize. Let’s face it…everything is important. Isn’t it?
The book of Ecclesiastes takes a relatively cynical approach regarding life in general. It portrays it as nothing more than a vapor that will dissolve quickly into thin air. In fact, the word “meaningless” is used some 37 times throughout the entire text. If you’re looking for scripture to build you up, this most definitely isn’t gonna cut it. But like every last bit of God’s Word, it has a purpose. It gives us a sense to know that our time here on earth is brief and not to be wasted. We can easily invest ourselves in the sagas of everyday living and forget to embrace our place in this world. Oh, the enemy is delighted when we give into this because we are so much less effective for the kingdom of God. When we’re maxed out, our lights become dim. This is figurative, but in reality, we are just too busy to shine.
It’s easy to run around with our cups half-empty. We get a late start to the day so we need to rush like crazy to be able to catch up. Every critical task has it’s own little time window and if we give it a second more than we’ve allotted it throws off the entire balance of the universe. (Or so it seems) We’re no longer giving others the encouragement they deserve or serving to the best of our abilities because we are starving and depleted. We are trying to give out of an empty well.
While agendas and schedules are a necessary counterpart to our way of life, our attachment to them needs to be limited. We need to learn how to listen instead of talk, stroll instead of run, and be willing to throw out that agenda whenever God has other plans.
I’m not gonna lie, this is a difficult concept for me. Very difficult. But when the echo of Solomon’s “meaningless” rants reach my ears it certainly pulls it all into a clearer perspective. Aside from every other role that I play in life – I am first a child of God and one who needs to engage Him in conversation daily. I am then a wife, who completes my husband and supports his leadership in our home. And lastly, I am a mother who needs to train up my children in the way they should go.
Every second I spend here on Earth is for a purpose fashioned out by my Creator. If I’m so busy time-boxing my entire life, I’m bound to miss that purpose. God is the One who should be setting my agenda. He is the One who should be setting my pace. And in all honesty, His pace is way less tiring than my own…
Lord, I know that people’s lives are not their own; it is not for them to direct their steps. (Jeremiah 10:23 NIV)