Be careful then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. Ephesians 5:15-17
Larry Dossey, a physician, coined the term “time sickness” in 1982 to describe the obsessive belief that “time is getting away, that there isn’t enough of it, and that you must pedal faster and faster to keep up.”
By that definition, we’re almost all time sick. Who among us isn’t busy and in a rush?
When we were first married and living in Pasadena, California, we attended the same church as renowned Christian psychologist Dr. James Dobson.
One Sunday morning, he made a guest appearance in our newlywed class, and in the context of his lesson, he said something that got the full attention of every neophyte in the room: “Overcommitment and exhaustion are the most insidious and pervasive marriage killers you will ever encounter as a couple.”
We’ve never forgotten that.
In fact, we’ve been working at guarding against busyness ever since.
“When the fire of prayer goes out, the barrenness of busyness takes over.” –George Carey
Once you realize the potential harm busyness can have on your marriage, you become more conscious of how much, or how little, time you have together each day.
No matter how much time stealing, time stretching, and time bending we attempt, we always find ourselves up against a certain mathematical law: Thirty-two hours’ worth of tasks can’t be crammed into a 24-hour day.
So, we are busy. Nobody’s disputing that fact.
The real question is “How busy are you?”
We take that back. The real question – the one upon which your marriage hinges – is “What are you busy at?”
Reflect and Respond
Would you like to curb your busyness? How will you do it?
Go ahead, tell us in the comments.
Related Resource
The moments you miss together are irreplaceable, gone forever. This book will show you how to reclaim the time you’ve been missing and how to maximize the moments you have together. This is not a book about being more productive, but a book about being more connected.
I prioritize my partner in my prayers and my planner. My wife and family are the first topics of my morning prayer, the sole focus of my dinner-time attention (no phone, computer or TV to compete with), and a dinner date with my wife is a standing appointment on Fridays.
Thanks for asking.
By the grace of God, I am busy “growing in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ” by means of the revelations based on His diacritical death on the cross.
I have found a critical mass on the “tree of life”, as basis of Christ’s post-incarnate revelation to the world, a.k.a., God’s “life-giving Spirit”, which occupies my days and hours on reflection and sharing with family, friends and online.
I saw this today also…. “Nobody is too busy, it’s just a matter of priorities” – Bob Proctor.
Well, I finally got to finish reading this..
Me and time are not friends.