What are some indicators in your life that you are too busy?
Your friends say they haven’t seen you in a while. Your budget is blown up and you’re spending money you don’t have on convenience items because of time you don’t have. Irritability. Stress. Compromising healthy habits like sleeping well, eating right, and exercising sufficiently.
It’s really hard to be really busy and do it well. Experts say that we’re not as good at multi-tasking as we think (they describe us as actually “switch-tasking” and not multi-tasking, you can google that).
Jesus was busy. Really busy. Everybody wanted his attention, his healing, his miracles, his healing, his teaching and more of his healing. Not to mention his mission of paying the debt for every one of everyone’s sins by suffering and dying without sinning himself.
How did he do it? Priorities. And those started with his #1 purpose: forgiving sins.
Jesus managed his mission agenda when he was on this earth, and funneled everything toward that as his top priority.
He still does the same thing, having risen from the dead and ascended to heaven, he is ruling over all things. He could snap his fingers and miraculously drop a brand new car in your garage. He could heal your back pain, your migraines, or your learning disability. He could make it 70 degrees and sunny every day.
But those things, if they don’t serve the #1 purpose he has for you—spiritual well being—will not happen. At least not now, or at least not in the way you think.
Here is what Jesus does ensure, however. He is never too busy for you. He is never too busy to forgive you. He never experiences any symptoms of being too busy, because he never is.
Watch this video, a presentation of Jesus performing two miraculous healings in Luke 5:12-26. After the first, he gives orders for the healed man not to tell anyone—Jesus is managing his exposure early in his ministry. In the second, he’s receiving a bit too much exposure, and as he is teaching he is interrupted by a group of guys who want their paralyzed friend healed. How does Jesus respond to this interruption? Watch and find out. And remember his #1 priority. https://youtu.be/VmXVessZGrM
PRAYER: Dear Jesus, you’re the best at being interruptible. Even though you’re incredibly busy. Thanks for making time for me always. Help me manage my busyness with your priorities. Amen.
FURTHER MEDITATION: Read Luke 5:12-26, and recall the video mentioned above. Pause, relax, and meditate on the interaction Jesus had with the leper and with the paralyzed man. How are you similar to each of them, and what does Jesus say that you appreciate hearing today, or what does he do that you need him to do for you? Put it into words in a prayer.