This morning I had breakfast with the Baptist Youth Ministry exec team and we spent time discussing the future of the whole BYM scene.

The morning began like this:

‘G’day Thaddeus (not his real name) How are you?’

‘Busy.’

‘Oh right – is that good?’ I asked…

We began to discuss if being busy is a bad thing. Just as we were getting into the conversation Bartolmew (also not his real name) arrived.

‘Hows it going Bart?’

‘Fla… good thanks – busy but good’.

As we waited for Judas (yep!) to arrive we got into conversation.

The key question was, if we are enjoying what we are doing and if we are people who are energised by activity and productivity is that a bad thing? Busyness does seem to get a bad rap at times in Christian circles. Sometimes with due cause, but I am wondering is it another one of those pendulm swings…

Is it that we once so deified busyness that now we have overcompensated and elevated ‘stillness’ to a place where God did not intend either?

Or is it just that we are all wired differently?

I think it is usually unhealthy to be too busy, but then what’s ‘too busy’ for me may be a walk in the park for you. On the other hand you may look at my schedule and feel weary just thinkng about it.

When we speak of too busy we need to ask ‘too busy for what?’ I gauge my own level of busyness by how I am connecting with Danelle and my kids, how I am going in my disciplines (spiritual and physical) and also how much I am feeling in control of life.

Typically Danelle warns me if I am pushing the ceiling (hasn’t happened for about 4 years now) and I am pretty well aware myself now of what is a healthy pace to run at. I am happy to accept busy periods and to see life as happening in a rhythm. Some months I take it easy, some I go like crazy.

I am a person with a pretty high capacity for work and I enjoy doing a whole heap of things, so to have a fairly mundane job with little challenge would kill me quicker than being overworked.

People speak of ‘burnout’, but I am reminded that burnout is not so much caused by overwork as by a lack of hope. Its when we are working hard for no result and nothing looks like developing that we are likely to find ourselves struggling.

Too busy?

Hmm… what do you say?