Do you ever keep busy for the sake of keeping busy?

In this “task-a-minute-world” with endless to-do lists and countless demands on our time, a mindset of always keeping busy can start to develop. If we aren’t doing something, we think we’re failing somehow. Down-time is labeled a waste of time and is avoided.

But should it be this way?

I find peace in knowing Jesus took time out for quiet communion with God. He hiked to the mountaintop, fled to the wilderness, and hid from the crowds to be away from the mob scenes and taunting of the masses.

If Jesus needed time-off from work, don’t we need it too?

Down-time from worldly demands gives us up-time with God.

I am very busy during the day with my practice, and when I get home late in the afternoon I can easily stay in the same mode of keeping busy with my work. The phone keeps ringing, the emails keep arriving, there are bills to pay, dinner to cook when mom is out, and other household chores to do. It’s easy to get swept away by staying busy, busy, busy. I have to catch myself and say “Halt! Go throw the baseball with Tyler. Pet the dog. Take a walk with Kathy. Enjoy dinner with the family. Ask the kids what happened in school.” It helps.

There’s more to life than keeping busy. Life is about expressing God, living Love, feeling inspired. If we get too focused on doing things, pretty soon the things we’re doing become the dominant focus, and not the original purpose for living in the first place.

God is our Life.

Life is good. Life is Love. Life is peace. Life, lived rightly, is a joy to experience.

If life isn’t feeling that inspired, it might be feeling down because we’re too mentally or physically busy doing something else. Life is a spiritual experience, not a to-do list.

As we make it a daily priority to experience God rather than just get things done, our emphasis changes from racing blindly from one task to the other to feeling close to God, loving others more, and staying inspired about what we do. Life is more enjoyable this way.