Preachers and Busyness

Time is going. . . by koraw from www.sxc.hu

What do preachers say when you ask them how things have been going?

Most all of us will say, “We have been really busy!”  We may even give you way more information than you desired about all the things we have been doing.

This is a typical response from most working Americans today. We believe if we aren’t busy then there is something wrong.  Ministers have traditionally be the butt of jokes about how they only work a few hours of the week.  Most people, including church members, do not understand what a preacher does during the week.  Many ministers have abused the freedoms with their work and been known for lazy or selfish behaviors.  With the church paying the minister and the minister wanting to justify his pay, it is common for ministers to be ready to share all they have been doing.

We don’t talk about it a lot as preachers, but I believe preachers struggle with busyness and feeling like they have to be busy.  But we must realize we don’t have to justify our work in words, if we are doing it!  We have to work on our own psyche and attitude about our own worth and value.  We have to focus on efficiency and outcomes rather than just busyness.

We must consider what it says to our family and church members whom we are serving if we always give the impression that we are “too” busy.  They will feel like we never truly have time for them or their concerns or needs are not worthy of interrupting our busy ministry.

Jesus should be our model.  He had more to do than anyone who has ever lived, but he lived in the moment. He took time to pray, to get away with just his disciples, to rest, and to be interrupted by anyone who had needs.  He lived in the moment, yet stayed focused on his larger goals.  He was not too busy for the little children or the repeated questions of his Apostles.

I have to constantly work on this, but I don’t want to live a harried, stressed life.  I want to live in the moment, willing to serve, listen, and help whoever crosses my path.  I also want to value rest and hobbies.  Our worth doesn’t come from what we do, but from who we are in Christ.