I Am So Busy

I've been rereading "Ordering You Private World" by Gordan MacDonald.

MacDonald uses the first five chapters comparing and contrasting a driven person to a called person. One of the distinquishing marks of a driven person is that they are abnormally busy.

MacDonald says:

"They are usually too busy for the pursuit of ordinary relationships in marriage, family, or friendship, or even to carry a relationship with themselves - not to speak of one with God. Because driven people rarely think they have accomplished enough, they seize every available minute to attend more meetings, to study more material, to initiate more projects. They operate on the precept that a reputation for busyness is a sign of success and personal importance. Thus they attempt to impress people with the fullness of their schedule. They may even express a high level of self-pity, bemoaning the "trap" of responsibility they claim to be in, wishing aloud that there was some possible release from all that they have to live with. But just try to suggest a way out!"

One huge take away I get from what MacDonald is saying is the idea that people (myself included) who work so hard to declare and display how busy they are want the world to know that they are important.

This morning, thinking of everything that is either on a to-do list somewhere, or swirling around in my head, I relate to what MacDonald has written. Also, thinking of relationships that I wish were more than an inch deep, or the fullness of life with God that I so desire, I see how I try so hard to make life happen to me. In addition, I see how others I know do the same thing. Everybody is so busy. This driven treck through life needs to change direction.