Slowing Life Down Series

How to Deal With Busyness

Today we are continuing our series Stressbusters. We are going through the 23rd Psalm and looking at seven ways we can relieve stress in our lives. Last week we looked at the problem of worry and found God’s Antidote for Worry. Today we are going to be looking at God’s Antidote for Busyness.

How many of you would say that you are busy? If you meet someone at the store or run into them while shopping, they almost invariably will tell you how busy they are. They will start rattling off a list of activities they have planned to do.

Americans are busier than ever. Busyness has become an epidemic in our lives. Let me give you an example. Dinner time. The picture of the family sitting down at six o’clock and eating a home cooked meal together has almost disappeared. More Americans are eating their meals in restaurants then ever before. The words, “Let’s just grab something to eat.” – even carries with it the sense of busyness in our lives. Did you know that many fast food establishments don’t call themselves restaurants but call themselves "stores"? By calling themselves stores it gives the impression these places are not a place to go and enjoy a meal – but they are a place were we go to shop for meal. Many of the fast food places keep records of the amount of time it takes the customer to place the order until the food is delivered in their hands. The goal is to get as many customers through the "store" as they can in the least amount of time. This is another example of how busy we are in our lives.

A recent CNN pole said that 59% of all Americans would like to slow down and relax more. What is God’s antidote for our busy lives – it’s found in Psalm 23 verse 2.

He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. Psalms 23:2 (NKJV)

The prescription for pressured people is this – RELAX. Today we are going to use the word relax as an acrostic to see God’s antidote for busyness.

RELAX

R – Realize God wants you to REST.

The only way that we can only really enjoy life is by getting enough rest. The only way that you have enough energy to make it through another day is take the time to rest. That’s the way God has designed us. Look at Psalm 127:2 with me.

It’s useless to rise early and go to bed late, and work your worried fingers to the bone. Don’t you know God enjoys giving rest to those he loves? Psalms 127:2 (MSG)

Do you remember the American proverb: “Early to bed, Early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthily and wise?” How does that saying start? Early to bed – get some rest. Psalm 127 says it pretty plain –

It’s USELESS to rise early and go to bed late, and work your worried fingers to the bone. Don’t you know God enjoys giving rest to those he loves?

God never intended for us to work ourselves to death. That is not the way He designed us. God never intended for people to work 7 days a week. Look at Exodus 23:12 with me:

Six days you shall do your work, and on the seventh day you shall rest, that your ox and your donkey may rest, and the son of your female servant and the stranger may be refreshed. Exodus 23:12 (NKJV)

This verse even tells us why we need to rest. Rest so you can be refreshed. Let me give you a word of warning about your day of rest though – it’s found in Mark 2:27

The Sabbath was made to serve us; we weren’t made to serve the Sabbath. Mark 2:27 (MSG)

What this means is that the Sabbath is there for your benefit not the other way around. Be careful not to become legalistic about the Sabbath. God knows that you need rest to recharge and revitalized. His will is to keep to healthy mentally, spiritually and physically. Rest so you can be refreshed.

Realize God Wants You To Rest.

E – Evaluate your CHOICES

In our society there is an explosion of choices. We now have more opportunities available to us than ever before. We have more channels to watch, more products to buy, more activities to participate in then ever before. We are bombarded with choices every day. What will we wear? What will we eat? Where will we buy? What activities will we be involved in? Some choices for us are very simple – others are quiet complicated. How are we to make the right choices? How are we even to evaluate our choices? Let me give you four questions to ask to help you evaluate your choices.