Incentive

Have you ever wondered what motivates us to be busy? What is it that makes us feel guilty if we are NOT busy? I was reading a recent email and I started to laugh. “Ha! That’s me!” I said, in an almost proud way. Then I thought,

“Geemanee! (my favorite non-swearing expletive) Am I really proud of making so much of my list?”

The fellow list-maker was actually making light of her need to check things off her list by actually ADDING to her list. Instead of just writing “Do laundry”, she wrote, “wash darks…dry darks…fold/hang darks…”, etc. Craziness! All so we can make more check marks. The author went on to say she wants to feel productive:

“Oh, how I love to check boxes! Why? I want to be a productive woman. I want my work to matter. It’s pretty much a daily struggle for me. As an eternal optimist, I wake up anticipating that the seconds, minutes, and hours of each day will bend to cooperate with the demands of my list.” The-To-Do-List Abyss, Gwen Smith

Productiveness is good, but our priorities often determine how our productiveness is used. Why are we productive? Gwen goes on to share how she shapes her priorities.

When I was a younger mom and teacher, about 10 years into my career, it was very important to me to be busy — get on this study team, volunteer for that added task; to say “yes, I’ll run the Sunday School”, or “sure, I’ll research that for you”.  I loved the challenge of each and every task I took on. I loved being busy and using my intellect and creativity to ‘help’ others. That pattern continued for the next 20 years, not for the same motivation as much as that busy-ness just became a part of who Suzanne was. Meanwhile, my girls grew up, my mom went to the Lord, and life started to look shorter, and shorter.

“Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.”  Philippians 2:3-4

Looking back on my earlier rationalizing, I am convinced that I did this overextending of my life because I wanted to be needed, I wanted people to value what I was doing. I wanted to be important to those around me. Unfortunately, I didn’t seek favor in the eyes of those closest to me. Nor did I seek that favor from the God I claimed to love. When the pattern of busy-ness hit the wall of missing God, missing just time to be with Him or with others, I started to re-think my reason why. Old patterns are slow to change. And, I still liked feeling important/useful/valuable.

For some, busyness has almost become like a competition. There are people who find their sense of importance in the things that they do. To be busy means you are doing something of value. Sadly, many people equate doing with worth.  About a month ago I came across this provocative blog post, “Why Secretly You Love Being Way, Way Way Too Busy.”  You’ve all heard the saying, “If you want something to be done, ask a busy person.” This author confronted the incentive behind our busy-ness:

“We tend to think that important people are very busy people. And busy people are important people. On some level we believe that busy people are swamped because their time is valuable. And a busy person’s time is valuable because they are valuable. We don’t enjoy the process of being overly busy, but we do enjoy displaying the busyness badge of honor to the rest of the world. Now to be clear: I’m certainly not advocating laziness, and I’m all for being industrious. I’m not criticizing a full and abundant life, only an overly busy and over-stretched life.  But how are we to choose a full and abundant life instead of a jam-packed one if we are fighting this hidden urge within us? How are we to fight this urge if we haven’t even realized it’s there?”

OUCH!

I’m no longer following that self-importance, seeking recognition, wanting to please pattern as much these days. It is true, I don’t work 40-60 hours a week anymore; so the temptation to seek busy-ness has greatly diminished—but something much more powerful, more blessed, and more humbling has happened in my life:

I want to please God.

I want to be with Him more than I want to feel notably busy.

My motivation has changed!

Busy-ness can create a comfort zone that assumes all will be well with the world. My life took for granted so, so many things, and so many people. I could feel regret, and sometimes I do, but that is being replaced with a new incentive. I still love the challenge of a new assignment. I still love the simple and pure enjoyment I get when completing a task. I enjoy feeling productive. But, I no longer want to take for granted all that God has given to me. His gift of time is truly precious. I want to use it with more care and deliberate purpose. Recognition and seeking approval are no longer part of my plan.

How I use my time has a whole new purpose these days. My heart seeks to know the heart of my Lord God more. This understanding has been a gift from God’s Spirit. And, that is making all the difference.

“Do something mighty in us today, Lord. We grow complacent and reticent. We are prone to become overly familiar with holy things, leaving behind awe and reverence and the majesty due to your Name. Hide great hopes in our souls, stir might visions in our minds, fan noble desires in our hearts so we may worship You more perfectly, serve You with greater commitment, and receive Your Spirit more fully. Do something mighty in us today, Lord. Amen”  (Pastor Maiya’s prayer today at Hillside)