God has given us all a mission, a passion and a lot of talents. But our Heavenly Father does not want us to be so busy that we miss his blessings. Let’s stop and put our priorities in order.
Technology is there to help us be more efficient in our work, to help us save time. But instead of savoring this saved time, we generally take advantage of it to undertake more projects. So we are, in the end, even busier than we were at the beginning. While laziness is far from being a good quality, being too busy can also be a bad thing even when our time is spent on completely legitimate things!
This is what the story of Martha and Mary teaches us. “Now as they were traveling along, He entered a village; and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. She had a sister called Mary, who was seated at the Lord’s feet, listening to His word. But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me.” But the Lord answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her” (Luke 10.38-42 NASB)
What Martha was doing was very important, even necessary for them to have dinner that night! Yet Jesus would have liked for her to take time and listen to him, as Mary did. What we value is not always important. Sometimes we must stop to re-evaluate our priorities. The example of Martha shows us that if we are too busy, we can miss many spiritual revelations that will change the course of our existence or our character.
We can also miss out on a potential partner by being too busy! We can, of course, meet other singles by serving at our church or taking classes in the evening. But it is important to keep a good balance in our agenda and to have free time. When we meet a special person, they will take a large part of our time. We can not say to your partner to make an appointment to see you, between 7 pm and 8 pm, the third Thursday of the month!
The idea is to have at least one evening a week that we spend looking for a partner. This could be a time where we participate in activities to meet other singles or a time when we ask God what we need to change to be a better candidate for marriage. Ideally, a mix of both! Once we have discovered this special person, that same evening will be devoted to getting to know them more. When you’ll be married, that same night could be your romantic evening. A tradition to continue even (and especially!) when you’ll have children.
Plan another night to think only of you. Relax, play sports, practice your hobby, be creative. Serving others is important, but you will not be of much use if you are exhausted and start to lose yourself emotionally in the process. This is the best way to show yourself some respect, to love yourself. And a rested and inspired person is much more attractive.
Also, plan outings with friends for fun, activities to meet new people, moments to serve God in your calling. Take time to learn new things and to honor your parents.
Before all that, make sure to spend time with God every day. It was the message of Jesus: being at his feet listening to him is the best place to be. “For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand outside. I would rather stand at the threshold of the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness” (Psalms 84.10 NASB). We are not only talking about going to church once a week but to spend time each day in the presence of God, through prayer and studying the Bible.
“For thus the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, has said, in repentance and rest you will be saved, in quietness and trust is your strength” (Isaiah 30.15 NASB). You will not be able to do everything: choose your battles now and establish your priorities well.