3 Ways to Win the “Busy” Battle

In the previous post “3 Ways Satan Uses Busy to Destroy You” we talked about the damage that living in state of “busy” creates in our lives. Busy is a strategy of the enemy to disconnect, distract, and dismantle. Busy is a battle that we fight daily, but we can’t fight back in battles we don’t know we are fighting or against enemies we can’t recognize. I shared this critical truth with you, as well:

Quick recap:

Busy is a carefully constructed strategy created by the Enemy to destroy us in these three ways:

1. Disconnection – when we are busy, we don’t have time for meaningful connection, and we settle for cheap substitutes like social media. 

• Distraction – when we are busy, we become distracted by things that won’t matter next week, next month, or next year. 

• Dismantling – when we are busy, the Enemy takes us apart. Satan’s tag line is this: Stealing, killing, and destroying those that God loves since the beginning of time. The enemy steals our joy, Christ-identity, and peace. He kills our passion and drive to be disciples. And he destroys our relationships, our self-worth, and our ability to see God. 

Worry, stress, pressure, exhaustion, sickness, and depression begin to dismantle us bit-by-bit from the inside out – until one day we can no longer fake fine. Busy negates gratitude because we can’t slow down long enough to see the good. Joy comes when we appreciate the beauty of moments, but Busy has us hurrying through most of our moments. 

Often, busy breeds resentment – we become tired, worn down, emotionally spent, and mentally exhausted – and unknowingly attribute all that to those we said yes to or those who fill our schedules. Busy does not work long-term and the consequences always catch up to us. 

Busy says “in a few minutes” or “I’ll get that done later.” Usually, what we are putting off is more important than what we are doing in that moment to appease the pressure we feel to satisfy Busy. 

Don’t misunderstand, there are things we must get done in life and I’m certainly not advocating for living below our potential, not fulfilling our calling, not living life to the fullest, or being lazy. What I am saying is that if we are running from one event, one deadline, or one appointment to the next, we are going to crash and burn eventually. Busy is not healthy or sustainable. 

What in your life is keeping you from living up to your potential?

What in your life are you busy with that keeps you from prioritizing your purpose? 

What are you busy with that has you living as a smaller version of yourself?

What is taking time away from things you know are more important? 

What is robbing you of rest? Comparison? Envy? Grudges? Worry? World affairs? 

What is keeping you busy and distracted from God’s Word?

Busy is a frighteningly effective strategy of Satan and his evil band of brothers to keep us from everything that God has for us – His healing, His blessings, His peace, His joy, and so much more. 

Busy disables our ability to think clearly, live creatively, enjoy the moment, and make good decisions. If we don’t stop and recognize what we are doing to ourselves, before long, we will become enslaved to our schedules and to things we think we must do. 

Time is the most undervalued commodity in our society, but it should be the one thing we all use with thought and care and fiercely protect. You can buy a lot of things in this life, but you can’t buy even one more second of time. 

So, how do we fight back against the world’s over-evaluation and coveting of busy? 

Here are 3 Ways to Win the “Busy” Battle 

The first strategy to defeat busy is to understand rest. 

The type of rest I am talking about isn’t just getting adequate sleep at night (although that is important). The rest I am referring to is resting in Jesus. 

 “Are you weary, carrying a heavy burden? Come to me. I will refresh your life, for I am your oasis.  Simply join your life with mine. Learn my ways and you’ll discover that I’m gentle, humble, easy to please. You will find refreshment and rest in me. For all that I require of you will be pleasant and easy to bear.” Matthew 11:28-30

Jesus said come.  He didn’t say come after you’ve marked everything off your to-do list.  As it is in this world, busy is normal and rest is abnormal – but we’ve got it backwards and it’s time to get it right. 

Jesus tells us to come to Him so that He can give us His rest (Matthew 11:28) – meaning His peace, His quietness in our souls, His calmness in the storms of life, His joy, His contentment, and His assurance that He’s got us. 

Our hearts, minds, and souls crave the rest that only Jesus can give. 

Rest in the knowledge that God is in control. 2 Chronicles 20:5,6,9

Rest in the promise that God knows what we need and will provide it. Matthew 6:25-34

Rest knowing that God will help us in our times of need. Psalms 118:6-7

Rest knowing that we are loved (Ephesians 1:4), forgiven (Hebrews 10:17), approved of (Ephesians 2:9), seen (Ephesians 1:12), and chosen (Ephesians 1:11). 

The second strategy to defeat busy is deciding what our non-negotiables in life are and committing to making those things happen every day, week, month, or year. 

I don’t know about you, but when I get to the last days of my life, I want to look back knowing that I spent the days that God afforded me well – that I lived with real purpose, that I developed meaningful connections, that I loved my family and friends well, and that I accomplished what God created me for. 

What about you? Would you describe yourself as busy? What are you busy with and is it worthy of you? It’s time that we decide what the non-negotiables are in our lives and prioritize those things and let go of other things. Always remember that whatever you are saying “yes” to, you are saying “no” to something else. 

Yes, to working late, no to family time. 

Yes, to worry, no to peace.

Yes, to volunteering for a family gathering, no to needed rest. 

Yes, to the third hour of news, no to peaceful thoughts.

There is no way around this principle. Every “yes” has a “no.”

So, what are the non-negotiables in your life? 

• A quiet time with God every day?
• Boundaries with work, technology, or how many commitments you will take on?
• Getting enough sleep at night? 
• Daily exercise? 
• Developing and deepening your relationship with Jesus and those you love?
• Slowing down to breathe, feel your feelings, and process emotions? 
• Quality, focused time with your children and/or spouse? 
• Allowing time in your day for a hobby or something you enjoy?
• Spend time working on yourself? Discovering who you are, accepting who God created you to be, giving yourself grace, changing the way you speak to yourself, etc.  

Only you can decide what the non-negotiables are in your life and that you are done with Busy. There really isn’t a prize at the end for whoever was the busiest in this life (I promise). Busy is a dead end. Jesus came to give us an abundant (plentiful, ample) life – not a busy one. Spend your precious and finite time wisely and in a way that leaves you feeling joyful, content, and satisfied. 

The third strategy to defeat busy is taking control of our schedules. 

Now that you have thought about your non-negotiables, it’s time to start prioritizing those things. Running from one thing to the next and jam-packed schedules is not living – it’s existing – and it’s keeping us from living a meaningful, fulfilling, and purposeful life. 

I recommend getting a piece of paper and listing your non-negotiables on one side and the things currently in your schedule on the other side. You have to feed your kids, go to work, etc., but maybe some of your TV time could be used for one of the non-negotiables. 

It seems like a simplistic and unnecessary exercise to make this list, but right now…busy is winning the battle in too many lives. People don’t know how they are spending their time, or they have no margin in their lives to breathe and relax and it’s making them mentally, emotionally, and physically sick. Worse, they feel unfulfilled and empty because they aren’t living their purpose.

Think of it this way…

Our lives will go this way too if we don’t start taking control of how we spend our time, allowing for margin in our lives, and incorporating resting in God into every single day. 

I encourage you to pray over how you use and schedule your time. For me, I ask God to remove anything from my life (or day) that isn’t from Him or isn’t something that I need because I only want what He has for me. I also ask Him to give me eyes to see what is important. Lastly, I hand my day over to Him. I trust and know that He will do what is best for me and His best is way better than mine. 

God doesn’t want or need our busy, nor has He has called us to be busy. He wants our trust and because He loves us so much, He wants us to rest in Him (Exodus 33:14). God is a giver – we need to learn to be receivers. 

Nothing you do or don’t do will make Jesus love you more or love you less. You are fully loved. You can slow down – you have nothing to prove.

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