Conference Update & Devotional: “Too Busy for God”

Have you attended our SHE SOARS Conferences? 

This year, instead of having our Fall conference, the Lord directed us to partner with She Found Joy – a national conference that is coming to Woodstock, GA on Sunday – October 7th.

Join us for an evening of worship, teaching by three dynamic Keynote speakers, including Soaring with Him Ministries’ President, Patricia Holbrook. You will also enjoy a fun, insightful discussion with a speakers panel, an awesome dinner and dessert!

It’s the perfect Jesus’ Girl’s Night Out! Tickets are only $35! There are also open opportunities for volunteers and vendors . Email Lauren Gaskill if you are interested in becoming a volunteer or vendor: lauren@shefoundjoy.com

Visit the conference’s Facebook page for more information and to register: She Found JOY – Woodstock, GA

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Keep reading for my Monday Devotional:

But the Lord answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only one thing is necessary; for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”(Luke 10:41-42) (NASB)

I am running around the house with my Bluetooth on my ear, talking to mom on the other side of the hemisphere, while putting some clothes in the washing machine. It’s 6:00 pm and I just got home from a full day. I have one teenager following me around, eager to tell me the latest drama at school, while little sister wants to show me the new cool video she found and share the lyrics of this wonderful new worship song. I have dinner cooking and my mom really wants to see the girls on Skype. I have to sit down and pray that today the technology will be on my side and that I don’t have to dial 10 times before we connect. Finally, voila! When mom shows up on the screen, I’m really supposed to have a smile on my face while hoping that my dinner is not burning.

Does that sound familiar?

We live such fast-paced lives that prioritizing can easily become an issue. Hectic schedules make it hard to spare any room for quality time, whether we are stay-at-home moms, working moms or even if we don’t have a husband or children yet.

Spiritual Checkup

Not only can busyness render us stressed out and joyless, its tentacles can affect the most important aspect of our lives: our relationship to God.

That is exactly what Jesus was talking about when he admonished Martha regarding her busyness.

You know the story… Mary was sitting at Jesus’ feet, hearing His teaching. Martha was busy with housework and suggested that Mary’s service was inferior to hers. She was so concentrated on her busy service that, in a way, she was actually neglecting her Guest. While Martha was DOING, Mary was WORSHIPING.

You see, Jesus was not telling Martha that she did not have to be concerned about her work. After all, the Master wired her with the desire to accomplish and do great things. Martha was designed to be a doer. What Jesus admonished Martha to do was to rethink her priorities.

Jesus did not tell Martha that she did not have to be concerned about her work. After all, the Master wired her with the desire to accomplish and do great things. Rather, He was urging her to set priorities. Click To Tweet

Unfortunately, even when it comes to our work for God’s kingdom, we can reach a point where our service turns into mere busywork that is no longer a devotion to God. We may become so involved serving the Kingdom, that our time spent developing a relationship with the One we serve is not a priority anymore.

We can reach a point where our service for the Kingdom turns into mere busywork that is no longer a devotion to God. Click To Tweet

That is when Jesus looks at us and says: “Martha, Martha… you need to breathe. You need to choose that which cannot be taken away from you. You need to choose knowing Me first. I will teach you where to go, what to do and when you need to say ‘NO’. Stop and listen. Sit at My feet.”

Now, in practical terms, how do we do that? The laundry is not going to jump in the washing machine by itself and you can’t feed your children MacDonald’s every day.

How on blessed earth can we be busy and remain connected to God?

I would like to share some things that have helped me:

1)   Wake up early. Earlier than you did this morning, I mean.

For some of us who are not morning people, this is truly hard (Yes, I am raising my hand, sister!) I have found out, however, that if I wait to read my Bible and pray later in the day, I just don’t.

The biggest bonus of waking up early is that by putting God first in your day, you set the tone for a successful one. He energizes you when you are tired and promises to guide you through your day. Psalms 119:105 says “Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path”

2)   Find an accountability partner. In my case, it’s my husband. He is an early bird and wakes me up every morning. When I get downstairs, my Bibles are already on the table, waiting for me. He’s there studying his Bible too. When I was single, I had a girl friend who would call me at a certain time and we would pray together. We would then hang up and read our Bibles.

3)   Pray without ceasing. Although I love to get in my prayer closet to pray, it does not always happen. And it’s ok. On days like that, I know I can meet God on the freeway. Or while I do the dishes. It’s not uncommon that my children catch me “talking to myself” or “mumbling” while I am driving or doing house chores. They know Who I am speaking to. I talk to Him in traffic, when I’m cooking, or putting that load of laundry in the washing machine.

4)   Pray before committing to service. Don’t just get busy. Pray before saying yes. God does not expect you to do everything people ask you to. You need to know when GOD is calling you to serve Him.

5)   Use small breaks in your schedule to learn about God. Take some days of the week and use your lunch hour to read your Bible and pray. While your children are at piano lessons or taking a nap, grab a good Christian book to read.

6)   Turn off the TV. There is nothing wrong with watching TV, although I have to say, there is very little out there that is worth wasting our time. However, if we claim we don’t have time to spend with God but don’t miss one episode of This Is Us, we have a problem. This Is Us should be, like, 20th in your priority list.

If we make it a priority to seat at Jesus’ feet and listen, He will guide us in what to do. Our service will never be meaningless nor empty, and we should have real joy in whatever we are doing for Him. He will energize us and will be the wind beneath our wings when we are too tired to go on. And best of all, by prioritizing our relationship with the Lord, He will guide us to the most abundant, joyful place: right in the center of His will.

If we make it a priority to seat at Jesus’ feet and listen, He will guide us in what to do. By prioritizing our relationship with the Lord, He will guide us to the most abundant, joyful place: right in the center of His will. Click To Tweet

Have you found other ways to ensure you keep your priorities straight and God on top of your list? Share your ideas below!