“I’m tired of being tired!”

“I’m tired of being tired” is a phrase I hear from a lot of people… mostly people who are doing good things in ministry.
When Jesus visited the home of two sisters, Mary and Martha (Luke 10) Mary was enjoying her connection with Jesus and Martha was preoccupied with the busyness of hospitality and meal preparations. You know the story, when “busy Martha” complains about “lazy Mary”, Jesus responds by saying, “Mary has chosen what is better.”

“Mary has chosen what is better.”

The principle is painfully clear: connecting with Jesus is a better choice than busyness.

There will always be more to do!

Know what I mean? There’s a important lunch on Tuesday that you can’t miss, soccer practice for the kids twice this week, a staff member coming over for dinner, two games on Saturday, bills piling up that need attention, you’ve got to prep Sunday School (and the leader meeting you scheduled after church), there’s an upcoming church trip that requires planning, and a to-do list so long that you’ve added “get through the to-do list” to it. There’s a lot going on now.

So many of us are tired of rushing from one activity to the next, constantly checking our schedules, arriving late, and always feeling a bit elsewhere after we arrive. There’s a gnawing sense in our guts that we can’t keep up the pace…and truth be known, we don’t want to. Most people I talk to are tired of being tired all the time, tired of the emptiness that comes from too much busyness and not enough Jesus.

Thankfully, the Savior offers a better way than running on empty. He invites us to walk instead of run and find rest for our weary souls. That’s what the fullness of life is all about. It’s not the same as being busy all the time (even busy doing good things). The invitation is to sit at the feet of the Person who is the source of all fullness.

Yes, there are real tasks to accomplish today, just as there were in Mary and Martha’s day. But, like Mary, you and I have a choice… I would encourage you to follow Mary’s choice and accept Jesus’ invitation of connection and rest.

Question: In what ways have you seen busyness detract from connecting with Jesus? Share it here.