A key part of the modern condition, particularly in cities, is busyness. We rush to and fro between different appointments, family gatherings, meeting friends, school, and the office, with barely a moment to spare. We yearn for those few gasps of relief that always seem so far away. Indeed, there is a reason why God instituted a Sabbath for the Israelites and commanded them to rest once every seven days. Being busy certainly creates stress and makes us look forward to the holidays. But why is busyness so prevalent and rest so elusive? One (perhaps counterintuitive) reason is that we actually enjoy being busy. Not only that, we actually take pride in being busy. I think if we are being dead honest with ourselves we would realise that this is the case (and this is certainly true of me).
First, it’s important to remind ourselves that pride is singled out by God as a particularly serious sin, because proud people put themselves on the throne of their lives and do not look towards God. Pride is the opposite of humility, and it is only through humility that we can surrender to and believe in God. Proverbs 16.5 says: “Everyone who is arrogant in heart is an abomination to the LORD; be assured, he will not go unpunished.” Jesus Christ Himself said in Luke 14.11: “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
So why are we prideful in our busyness? I believe there are three main reasons:
- We want others to think we are important.
- We want to think of ourselves as important.
- We don’t actually enjoy our downtime as much as we think we do.
Let’s briefly consider each of these in turn.
1. We want to think of ourselves as important
This is probably the most obvious reason why we enjoy being busy. We want others to look at us and say, “wow, you are so busy. You are so hardworking.” We want others to think, “wow, you are so important and necessary.” Basically, we want to feel valued by those around us. This is the beginnings of idolatry: instead of finding value and affirmation in God, we try to get those things from other people.
The problem is, only God can give us permanent value and affirmation. I think most of us are aware at a deep level that the praise of others is only a fleeting thing, almost always dependent on circumstances. Moreover, only honouring God can give us eternal rewards: if we want Christ to return and tell us “well done, good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25.23), then we have to steward (i.e. manage) the time, energy, and resources He has given us in this life according to His agenda. Being busy all the time without rest is a poor use of time and energy from God. Constant busyness can please man (for a while), but it cannot please God.
Resting well and stewarding the time and energy God has given us can look a little rubbish in the eyes of this world. While your colleagues are staying in the office until 11 PM, you are spending time with your church small group praying and reading the Bible; while your classmates are slaving away studying for exams on Sunday you are attending church and spending personal time with God. Living in this godly fashion may even cost you some worldly rewards. But it is so worth it, both in the present and future. In the present, we can enjoy the sweetness of walking closely with God, with Him as our King and comfort. He promises that if we seek first His kingdom and righteousness, He will provide for our every need (Matthew 6.33). In the future, when we enter the New Creation, God will reward us for our faithful, counter-cultural service of Him in this life by setting us over much in that new world (Matthew 25.14–30).
If we are Christians, we must live lives surrendered to God, in His service. But let’s not be disheartened: surrendering to God brings untold rewards, both now and forever. Let’s not live for the praise of man, but for the praise of God.
2. We want to think of ourselves as important
We not only want others to praise us in our busyness, but we also want to praise ourselves. By being busy all the time, we want to look in the mirror before bed and say, “wow, I have done so much today. I was indispensable. I was important. I mattered.” And true, the Bible certainly does commend an honest day’s work! King Solomon wrote: “Sweet is the sleep of a labourer, whether he eats little or much, but the full stomach of the rich will not let him sleep” (Eccle. 5.12). It is often those who work hard and with integrity who sleep well at night. But notice: the labourer who is commended in this verse sleeps. He enjoys rest from his full day of labour. King Solomon does not say: “Sweet is the work of a labourer who continues to work after a full day of work.”
Working well according to the Bible includes resting well. Every godly person in the Bible, including the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, took time to rest both physically and spiritually. Living this way takes recognising two truths about ourselves: (1) we are not as important as we think; (2) we are more important than we could ever know.
The world will not stop turning without you. I guarantee it. This is true of you and me, all of us. If we died today, the world would keep on turning. There is nothing new under the sun. This is so even with the church: if you died today you would likely be mourned by your brothers and sisters in the church, but life would inevitably go on. The Sunday services are not going to stop because you are gone. Sometimes I think I have to be very busy or else everything will collapse. This is never the case. God is the One who holds the entire universe in His hands, not us. I have a suspicion that the creator of the universe would be able to find a replacement for any of us in no time at all. So let us recognise that we are limited, that we are not that important, and so we can spare some time to rest.
But once we humble ourselves and realise we are not so important, we then come to the seemingly contradictory but amazing truth that we are important beyond our wildest dreams. We who belong to Christ are so, so precious to God. Christ will not lose a single one of God’s people; He will go and search for every last sheep and bring them into His fold (John 10.27–28; Matthew 18.10–14). He predestined us to be His sons and daughters before the foundation of the world, deciding to set His love upon us. Our forgiveness, everlasting glory, and eternal life are completely assured (Ephesians 1.3–10). In fact, God so valued us that He sent His Son Jesus Christ to die and rise again for our sins, so we would not be condemned (John 3.16). We are people of immense value—value in the eyes of God. We need not set up busyness to prop up our self-worth. We are already much loved by the God of the universe. Let us heed His call to rest in Him.
3. We don’t actually enjoy our downtime as much as we think we do
What, however, is rest? I think the third reason we so often find pride in busyness is because we don’t actually enjoy our downtime as much as we think we do! If we’re being honest with ourselves, the prospect of sitting at home in the evening binging a TV show, “chilling out” watching YouTube videos, or even gaming promises much but delivers little. If you’re anything like me, you often feel more empty after the “rest” than at the start. We get bored of work, so we rest. We get bored of rest, so we work. And so the cycle goes on. And on. And on. Have we ever considered the possibility that we don’t rest because we don’t actually like it that much?
There is a big difference between meaningful rest and useless rest (I very often indulge in the latter). No godly person in the Bible rests like we often do today. Sure, they didn’t have YouTube or Netflix back then. But we do not see King David “switch off” his mind (in fact when he did switch off his mind he fell into adultery). We also do not see Jesus Christ resting from a day of exhausting ministry by playing games that take place in an imaginary world.
Instead, King David wrote about the rest He had in God (Psalm 23). Jesus Christ often retreated to desolate places and prayed earnestly to God (Luke 5.16). The point is this: the Bible commends rest that is founded upon God. We should not switch off our minds when we rest, but rather focus our minds on God. God is the only source of true comfort and rest. He is the only One who can truly renew our souls, our minds, and our bodies. All other attempts to find refreshment and replenishment are bound to fail in the long run. A few verses on how rest can be found in God:
Philippians 4.5b–7: “The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Psalms 4.8: “In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.”
Matthew 11.28–30: “Come to me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Rest in God can take many forms. As Philippians 4.5b–7 suggests, prayer is one form of rest. Another form of rest might be spending meaningful time with brothers and sisters in Christ. Spending time reading the Bible is yet another form of godly rest. I don’t believe there are only a few activities that can be called true rest. The only standard is: is what I am doing pleasing to and founded upon God?
By resting in ways that are godly, let’s create opportunities for rest that are more appealing. It would be so much easier to put down our busyness and get to rest if we really looked forward to it. So dial back on the Netflix, TV shows, social media, and gaming; dial up relating with others, edifying ourselves with God’s word, and connecting with God in earnest prayer and reflection.
Rampant busyness is a problem I struggle with on a daily, if not hourly, basis. May the LORD help each one of us to destroy our pride in being busy. I pray that we can find true value in God, and not in others; that we can be humble and recognise our surpassing importance in the eyes of God; and that we can rest meaningfully and look forward to the rich rest that awaits us after an honest day’s work. In Jesus Christ’s name I pray, Amen.