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“WHAT ARE WE BUSY ABOUT?”

by Jim Ward

Henry David Thoreau said, “it is not enough to be busy; so are the ants. The question is: what are we busy about?”

Thoreau died in 1862, but his observation makes me think that he had a window on our world. I'm not sure any generation has ever been busier than this one. We live by our calendars, whether thick multi-tabbed books, or whole family schedules stuck on refrigerators and cork-boards, or computer programs, or internet services. We lead such busy, complex lives that we have to catalog appointments for dad, mom, kids, work, school, recreation, church, sports, hobbies, visiting with friends, seeing doctors, volunteer work, and so on ad nauseam. I am quite sure that some of us even have to schedule time to schedule our time.

Amidst all the hustle and bustle, it would be wise to slow down, take stock, and remember something that Jesus said: “I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when on one can work” (Jno. 9:4).

Our hyper-busy agendas have two main effects on our work for the Lord: (1) we simply don't have time to do much for God, and even if we manage to find some time, (2) the stress of all the busyness distracts us and saps our energy.

Of course, it would be ridiculous to suggest that we excise everything from our lives except what could specifically be called the “work of God.” That's not what we are saying. We are calling for putting first things first, for giving God's work priority in our lives. We are asking for more intense focus on the things of God.

To The Work: — Paul concluded his treatise on the resurrection of Jesus from the dead with this admonition: “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Cor. 15:58). This reinforces the idea that a servant serves, a worker works. Truisms, of course, but still worth emphasizing. Several things can help motivate us.

First, as in all things, Jesus is our model. He said, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work” (Jno. 4:34). Then He backed it up with zeal, preaching in Judea, Samaria, Perea, Caesarea Philippi, and Tyre, walking everywhere He went. This commitment ultimately cost our Savior His life.

It is also compelling to realize that we Christians were made for the very purpose of working for God. Listen to Paul, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (Eph. 2:10).

Another incentive to work is the encouragement we can offer each other. Sermons, Bible classes, example, mentoring, even our singing — remember the song: “To the Work, To the Work” — can all be ways to spur each other to action. If we're going to become workers, we have to work.

What Hinders Us?: — Why do some of us never get with the program? What are the obstacles that block our way and hold us back?

Many start out with zeal, but become discouraged. Unfaithful peers, hypocrites in the church, lack of tangible results, pressure from non-Christian friends and family, and lack of appreciation create a stumbling block for us. To counter these things, we need to remember the promise passed on by Paul: “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart” (Gal. 6:9).

Procrastination, everyone's well known nemesis, also impedes us. We grab onto any pretext for avoiding our responsibilities today. The Preacher, Solomon, offered this bit of wisdom: “He who observes the wind will not sow, And he who regards the clouds will not reap” (Eccl. 11:4). The best known Bible example of procrastination is Felix, governor of Judea (Acts 24:25). When Paul frightened him with the gospel, he replied, “Go away for now; when I have a convenient time I will call for you.” His “convenient time” never came. The poet was closer to the truth than we care to admit when he called tomorrow “that phantom of days.”

Shame is also a deterrent to our service for God, especially in showing and talking about our faith. We're embarrassed to stand out in a crowd. We can't be too harsh with Peter for his denial of Jesus; some of us would likely have warmed ourselves by the same fire. Over against that, though, stands the warning of Jesus: “For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words...of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels” (Mk. 8:38). Shame has eternal consequences.

It is true that we ought to be ashamed of some things (Rom. 6:21; 2 Thes. 3:14). Sin is a shameful thing (1 Cor. 15: 34; 2 Cor. 4:2; Phil. 3:19). However, Jesus and the gospel do not fall into that category (Rom. 1:16; 2 Tim. 1:12; 1 Pet. 4:16) How could we be ashamed of God's power to save humankind?

There is one final category fo activity that hampers our work for God and His kingdom. It is probably the most common failure among us. What is it? Just this: we are content with minimal effort. We're like students who just want to squeak by to avoid failure. This is the way we pacify our conscience; we do just enough to keep from feeling guilty. For Christians, though, there is a serious problem with this attitude; anything less than wholehearted commitment to God is FAILURE. His people serve Him with their “whole heart” (Psa. 119:2,10,34,58,69,145; Matt. 22:37). They act with “diligence” in all that they do (Rom. 12:11; 2 Pet. 1:5).

What Motivates Us?: — All of us are propelled by motivation; it is very important. Prosecuting attorneys find it impossible to bring a case to trial if they cannot establish a motive for their suspect. Good health, more energy, improved looks, better performance — some, or all, of these motivate us to lose weight. We act for all sorts of reasons; love, fear, hate, greed, anger, jealousy, envy, ambition.

Christians are no exception; we have powerful motivation for serving God. Earlier we called attention to (1 Cor. 15:58); “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.”

The word therefore, always points to something in the immediate context as a reason for reaching a certain conclusion or performing a certain action. In this case, it points to the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The resurrection is our motivation for being “steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord” -- which, as you can see, describes not merely a token effort, but our best effort. Furthermore, since the resurrection of Jesus gives us victory over death (vs. 57), our “labor is not in vain in the Lord.” This probably points to at least two things: first, our own resurrection in Christ, which is guaranteed because of His own resurrection, and second, the fruitfulness of our labor in Him.

Making Choices: — There is not enough time to pursue the Lord's works and other interests equally. We must make some choices. Sears, Roebuck once categorized their products as good, better, and best. If we take that approach to God's work, then we must not merely make the absolute choice of righteousness over evil, but also the relative selection of BEST over good and better. That requires profound thought, honest evaluation, and rock solid commitment.

We must decide to devote relatively little attention to other things, even acceptable ones. And to be blunt, we simply must let go of some things which we might ordinarily enjoy very much.

Which brings us back to Thoreau's point at the beginning of this article. The question is, he said, what are we busy about? Have you given much thought to that lately? ----- Lost River Bulletin, Vol. 58, No. 1, 

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Primary Objectives of Chronological Bible Reading Schedule:

OLD TESTAMENT:
1. To place books in chronological order according to event; not according to date of writing.
2. To make the divisions according to the paragraph or thought breaks in the text
3. To make the amount of reading (as close as practical) equal each day

NEW TESTAMENT:
1. To make the divisions according to the paragraph or thought breaks in the text
2. To make the amount of reading (as close as practical) equal each day
3. To place the books according to the date of writing with some significance modifications...
3a. While the book of James (written 45 A.D.) was written first and the Gospel of Mark is the first gospel account (53-60 A.D.), the Gospel of Luke (63-68 A.D.) will be placed first so Luke's book of history, Acts (65 A.D.), can provide a sense of the establishment and growth of the church.
3b. The reading of Acts will pause to read Paul's letters as they were written in Luke's historical account.
3c. When Acts comes to a close the reading shall revert to the order the books were written, with James being the first book (45 A.D.).
3d. While the Gospel of John is the last book written (90-100 A.D.), because of its nature Revelation shall be the last book

Plans of Salvation

Plan #2 (The Promise Keepers Plan of Salvation) "You need to do five things to become a part of God's family. If you haven't already done this, I urge you, if you're sincerely ready, to do them now: 1) Admit your spiritual need, "I am a sinner." 2) Repent. Be willing to turn from your sin and, with God's help start living to please him. 3) Believe that Jesus died for you on the cross and rose again. 4) Receive, through prayer, Jesus Christ into your heart and life. 5) Pray something like this from the sincerity of your heart:

"Dear Lord Jesus, I know I'm a sinner. I believe You died for my sins and rose from the grave. Right now, I turn from my sins and open the door of my heart and life. I receive you as my personal Lord and Savior, Thank you for saving me. Amen."

Christ's church in Graham is happy with Plan #1 and thankful to the God of all grace for it. We cannot recommend Plan #2 at all, but will change our minds when this prayer, or something like it, can be shown to us in the Bible.

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