EP 190: Busyness Is Not Godliness | Walking Closely with Christ
Inside: The Christian life was never meant to be lived by constantly trying to keep up. We were meant to walk closely with Christ and depend on Him day by day.
We all talk about being busy, don’t we? When someone asks how we’re doing, it’s easy to quickly answer, “Busy,” without even thinking about it.
Life feels full for so many of us. There are responsibilities to manage, people to care for, work to do, ministries to serve in, homes to tend, and countless everyday tasks that fill our days. And in many ways, that’s not a bad thing. Scripture calls believers to lives that serve the Lord and love others well.
But busyness and faithfulness are not always the same thing. The Christian life was never meant to be lived by constantly trying to keep up. We were meant to walk closely with Christ and depend on Him day by day.
Kevin DeYoung writes in Crazy Busy, “Busyness does not mean you are a faithful or fruitful Christian. It only means you are busy…” We can be busy doing good things and still find our hearts becoming distracted from the Lord.
Listen to the Podcast (18 minutes) or read the post below (14 minutes):
When Busyness Begins to Crowd Out What Matters Most
Busyness rarely happens all at once. We don’t wake up one morning and decide to drift from the Lord. More often, our days gradually become so full that we stop making room for Him in the middle of them.
And sometimes the very things filling our schedules aren’t even bad things. They may be good responsibilities, meaningful ministry opportunities, family needs, or everyday tasks that truly matter. But when our lives become consumed with activity, even good activity, it can begin to crowd out what matters most.
Jesus gently warned Martha about this in Luke 10. Martha wasn’t distracted by sinful things. She was serving others, caring for guests, and trying to do what needed to be done. And yet Jesus lovingly told her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary” (Luke 10:41–42).
The problem wasn’t that Martha was serving. Serving others is good and necessary work. The issue was what was happening in her heart in the middle of it all. She had become distracted, anxious, and troubled while missing the “one thing” that mattered most.
I think many of us can relate to Martha.
We know what it feels like to move from one thing to the next with our minds constantly occupied. We can sit down to read Scripture while already thinking ahead to everything else we need to do. We can rush through prayer while mentally organizing our day. We can become so consumed with doing things for the Lord that we begin to neglect fellowship with Him.
I’ve seen this in my own life more times than I’d like to admit. My days fill up, my thoughts race ahead to the next thing, and before long I’m distracted in the very moments the Lord has given me. I notice it especially in the little moments, when someone is talking to me and my mind is already somewhere else, or when I’m quick to respond instead of slowing down to really listen. Busyness doesn’t just affect my schedule. It affects how I love the people right in front of me.
I’ve had moments where one of my grandchildren is telling me a story, and I realize I’m only half listening because my mind is already moving ahead to the next thing I need to do. Or I’ll sit down to spend time in the Word, but instead of slowing my heart before the Lord, I’m thinking about my to-do list. Those little moments can reveal just how distracted my heart has become without me even realizing it.
I shared thought in Chapter 3 of Homemaking Matters:
“Sometimes the greatest work we do for the Lord isn’t crossing off items on our to-do list, but opening our lives to others in small, intentional ways.”
Busyness can convince us we’re being fruitful simply because we’re constantly moving. But faithfulness is not measured by how much we accomplish in a day. Often it’s found in loving the people God has placed right in front of us.
Kevin DeYoung writes that many of us wake up “not trying to serve, just trying to survive.” That resonated with me because sometimes life can begin to feel exactly like that. We move through our days trying to keep up with life and manage everything around us, and before we realize it, we’re rarely slowing down to be with the Lord.
This is why Psalm 46:10 is such a needed reminder for us: “Be still, and know that I am God.”
In Psalm 46, the world around them is in upheaval and chaos, yet God reminds His people that He alone is sovereign over it all. It’s a reminder for us too that God is God and we are not. We do not hold our lives together by our own effort. Every part of our lives depends on Him.
And this kind of nearness to the Lord is meant to shape how we live with others. Galatians 5 reminds us that the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Those things are not formed in us by constantly rushing from one thing to the next. They grow as we abide in Christ and walk closely with Him.
We can slowly begin to live distracted lives while convincing ourselves we are doing fine simply because we are getting things done.
Jesus never meant for our relationship with Him to become another task we manage. He wants us walking closely with Him.
There Is a Right Kind of Busyness
When we talk about the dangers of busyness, we have to be careful not to swing too far the other way. Scripture is not calling us to laziness or disengagement from the responsibilities He has given us. God has given us meaningful responsibilities in the places and people He has entrusted to us.
There are meals to prepare, children to disciple, aging parents to care for, friends to encourage, church families to serve, and daily responsibilities that simply come with living in this world. Many of those things are good gifts from the Lord and part of walking wisely before Him.
But there is a difference between serving the Lord in dependence upon Him and constantly pushing ourselves until we become spiritually exhausted and distracted from Him. So often, that kind of living is fueled by pressure, fear, pride, people-pleasing, or feeling like we constantly need to prove ourselves.
I think this is especially important to remember in our homes because so much of what fills our days happens in the repeated acts of care and service that no one else really notices. Preparing meals, listening carefully during conversations, praying for our families, helping with schoolwork, welcoming others into our homes, folding laundry again, cleaning up another mess—these things matter deeply to the Lord.
Everyday Faithfulness Matters to God
Titus 2 gives us such a beautiful picture of this kind of everyday godliness lived out in ordinary life. Colossians 3:23 reminds us, “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.” Even the work that goes unnoticed matters to Him.
The deeper question is whether our activity is drawing us closer to Christ or slowly distracting us from Him.
God has not called us to prove our worth through constant productivity.
He has called us to obedience in the places He has entrusted to us, and there is real joy in faithfully serving Him right where He has placed us.
Resting in Christ Instead of Proving Ourselves
I think one of the reasons busyness can become such a struggle for us is because our hearts so easily drift toward proving ourselves. Even as believers who know we are saved by grace, we can begin living as though God’s approval somehow depends on how well we’re doing or how much we’re accomplishing.
We feel valuable when we are productive. We feel like we’re doing well spiritually because we’re checking all the boxes and keeping up with everything on our list. Before long, our relationship with the Lord can begin to feel more like managing responsibilities than walking closely with Him in love and dependence.
But the gospel reminds us that our standing before God is not based on our performance, but on Christ’s finished work for us. Romans 8:1 says, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Because of Christ, we do not live trying to earn God’s love. We live from the security of already being fully loved and accepted in Him.
That truth needs to change the way we approach our days. We are now free to walk faithfully in the work God has given us while resting in His grace. We no longer have to carry the pressure of trying to be everything to everyone or feeling like everything depends on us.
Part of growing in maturity as believers is learning to accept that we are finite. We cannot do everything or meet every need around us. We were not meant to carry what only God Himself can carry.
That’s why Jesus’ words in Matthew 11 are such a comfort:
“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).
Jesus is calling weary people to come to Him. Ultimately, the deepest rest He offers is rest from trying to carry what we were never meant to carry and rest from trying to find righteousness in ourselves. And as believers, we continue to walk in that same daily dependence upon Him. We were never meant to live the Christian life in our own strength.
Hebrews 4 reminds us that there remains a rest for the people of God. Ultimately, that rest is found in Christ Himself. We stop trying to justify ourselves through our effort, productivity, or ability to hold everything together, and instead learn to trust in the finished work of Jesus on our behalf.
That doesn’t mean we stop serving or stop working faithfully. But our work begins to flow from a different place. We obey Him because we love Him and belong to Him already, not because we are trying to earn His acceptance.
This is why we need to pay attention to what busyness is doing in our hearts. If we are not careful, we can slowly begin measuring our worth by how much we accomplish instead of resting in Christ.
Making Space for What Matters Most
One of the things busyness often reveals is how easily we can begin living without much thoughtfulness about how we’re spending our days. We move from one responsibility to the next, responding to whatever feels most urgent, and before long we can lose sight of whether we are actually walking closely with the Lord and loving others well.
Making space for what matters most does not mean withdrawing from responsibility. It means learning to live thoughtfully and dependently within the work God has actually called us to do.
Sometimes this may look like saying no to something good because your season is already full. It may mean sitting a little longer with your Bible open before rushing into the day, or choosing to pause and listen carefully when someone needs your attention instead of always moving to the next thing.
Sometimes it’s slowing down enough to enjoy the people and moments the Lord has already placed right in front of us. Lingering at the dinner table a little longer instead of rushing off to the next thing. Sitting with a good cup of coffee and simply enjoying it. Watching the birds outside for a few moments. Taking time for a phone call with a dear friend. Enjoying a conversation with your husband or children without always feeling pulled toward what still needs to get done.
One practical thing that has helped me at times is doing a “brain dump” and getting all the thoughts, responsibilities, and tasks out of my head and onto paper so I can prayerfully think through what actually needs my attention right now.
Psalm 90:12 says, “Teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.” That verse reminds us that our time matters, and wisdom is needed in how we spend it. We cannot do everything, which means we have to prayerfully discern what the Lord is actually calling us to give our attention to in this season of life.
I often come back to the example of Jesus. His life was full, yet He was never frantic or driven by pressure. He was fully present with the people in front of Him and never allowed urgency to pull Him away from what His Father had called Him to do.
I want to grow in that kind of faithfulness. I don’t want to rush through my days distracted and always thinking ahead. I want to be present in the moments and relationships the Lord has placed right in front of me.
More than anything, what we need most is not a perfect schedule or a better system. We need hearts that are staying near to Christ. As we walk closely with Him, He gives wisdom for our days, grace for our responsibilities, and strength for the work He has called us to do.
A Few Questions to Prayerfully Consider
As we think through these things, it can be helpful to prayerfully slow down and honestly consider what busyness may be revealing in our own hearts and lives.
- Has my busyness begun to crowd out time with the Lord or affect the way I love the people around me?
- Am I filling my days because life feels demanding, or because I feel pressure to constantly keep up?
- Are the things that fill my schedule helping me grow in faithfulness, or leaving me distracted and spiritually weary?
- What is one area where I may need to become more present in what the Lord has placed right in front of me?
Some Gentle Ways to Refocus
- Spend time with the Lord before immediately reaching for your phone each morning.
- Practice giving people your full attention during conversations instead of always thinking ahead to the next task.
- Leave margin in your schedule when possible instead of filling every moment. I’m still learning to grow in this too.
- Ask the Lord for wisdom before automatically saying yes to every opportunity or responsibility.
- Remember that faithfulness is often found in small acts of obedience, love, and service that may never be noticed by others.
- Rest in the truth that your worth before God is rooted in Christ, not in your productivity.
There will be busy seasons in all of our lives. The goal is not to somehow keep up with everything, but to walk closely with Christ in the middle of what He has called us to in this season.
Related Resources:
Homemaking Matters: Living for God’s Glory in the Ordinary
Homemaking is more than a list of tasks or a never-ending to-do list. It is a calling given by God, with real purpose for His glory.
In Homemaking Matters , you’ll be encouraged to recognize God’s hand in your daily life and to understand that your work matters to Him. You’ll be reminded to love and serve your family in ways that reflect Christ, to turn from striving and rest in His sufficiency, and to live each day with your eyes set on what is eternal.
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