Howdy Baysiders! Happy August! Hope you all had a great summer and are well rested as we enter the end of summer.
I once heard a pastor say, “In the end, busyness makes us look important but cripples our relationships. Busyness feeds our egos but ultimately starves our souls. Busyness fills our calendars but fractures our families. And busyness props up our images but shrinks our hearts.” This quote has stuck with me all these years and reminds me to prioritize not just my activities but feelings and thoughts. We can look so busy and yet not be productive. This is the illusion of busyness. It tricks us into thinking we are doing important and meaningful things when its just a smoke screen for what we are really neglecting. Are you sacrificing your intimacy with God for the idols of busyness, achievement, and pleasing people?
Psalms 46:10 says, “Be still and know that I am God.” For some of us being still is a difficult task to do, yet God wants this from us. It is only when we are silent and at rest that we can see God’s plan in our life. The pandemic has shifted all our lives and it can be challenging adjusting to the new normal. This is even more reason to be still and stay in the moment and not chase the next busy thing to do. Life is too fast to be losing yourself in the hustle and bustle of the demands of being busy. Slow down and reflect on God’s awesomeness. Life is already high-speed so why speed up life with your hurry up mind set and action? I always try to keep myself one day ahead of yesterday. Stay present, appreciate the moment. Don’t live in the past and don’t live in the future, but live in the now. The here and now is what matters. Busyness can ruin the blessings in front of you if you’re not careful. If you are always on the move, being a workaholic, then rest itself will be a work to do. But God tells us in His word to be still and know! Know that God is over your life, guiding and providing for you. Thus you don’t have to be busy all the time or worry about getting everything done on your to-do-list. If we don’t practice regular stillness with God then we will look busy but not be productive on what really matters. Yes, you might get that promotion, raise, A+, or pat on the back, but at what expanse? The suffering of your relationship with your spouse, kids, God? God did not create us to be multitaskers, only God can do that. Be still Christian. It’s ok. God is working when you are not. Learn to stop and take a breather and look in your life considering all your blessings because all we have is the now, which is the best present we can open.
As our public gatherings are still unavailable I want to encourage everyone to remain joyful and hopeful. God still works, speaks and loves, no matter the situation we face. No virus can stop the grace of God. Let’s continue to talk and meet up with one another through Webex and Youtube. We are having a Prayer Night on August 21st at 7pm. Please come out and join us in prayer as we wait and see how God is going to move in our church and nation. I want to thank everyone for their financial contributions during this pandemic season. Your tithes and offerings are greatly appreciative and a huge part of sustaining this ministry.
Grace and peace ?:^)
Pastor Aaron