Back-to-School Busyness

Busyness.

It’s something I seem to deal with more and more as I get older.  It’s why I haven’t posted in several weeks! 😉

I was recently thinking about all I have going on in my life right now:

• Beginning a new school year with a first and sixth grader
• Building a new house and hoping to close in October
• Helping my husband in his new pastorate
• Establishing new friendships in our new church
• Maintaining this blog
• Keeping up with the daily duties of our home

All of these are good things.  And together, they make for a busy life right now.

As I thought about all the things I have going on, I was reminded of that very wise quote by Socrates, “Beware the barrenness of a busy life.”  I have felt that barren or empty feeling all too often. And it doesn’t come because of all the things I have going on (as I mentioned, they are all good things!).  It comes when I make them ultimate things.  It comes when I try to fill my cup with them. When I do that, my cup always ends up empty. 

Being busy will always be a part of life.  I will always have schedules, deadlines, appointments, get-togethers, and work to do. But I can’t look to these things to fill my cup and give me a full and meaningful life. I must learn to fill my cup with Jesus himself. 

Psalm 16:5 says, “LORD, you alone are my portion and my cup; you make my lot secure”, and Psalm 23:5 says, “…you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.”

If we look to Christ to fill our cups in the midst of our busy and hectic schedules, we will be able to pour into the lives of others.  If we are not looking to Christ each and every day, we will be empty and barren cups that will not accomplish much in our own lives or in the lives of others.

I am daily reminded of my need for Christ, because my life verse is John 15:5:

“I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can  do nothing.”

As this busy, new school year begins, my top priority has not changed.  It is still my relationship with the Lord Jesus. It is my daily prayer that I would abide in Him and that He would fill my cup.  And though my life may get very busy, I pray that it would be the busyness of a full and abiding life in Christ.