Too Much of a Good Thing

We’ve all heard the phrase, “Too much of a good thing can be a bad thing.”  It’s easy to relate when you eat too much food and end up with a belly ache, or when you binge watch your favorite show and realize you wasted an entire weekend. 

When COVID-19 hit and the stay at home order was issued and social distancing became the norm, I wanted to stay connected and accountable.  I joined a training for a new ministry, a new online small group, another online study, a discipleship group, all while continuing to co-lead my small group virtually.  I quickly found myself overcommitted and busier than I was before social distancing.  My attempt to stay engaged translated to obligation and exhaustion.  The overwhelm that I felt from being too busy caused me to completely disengage.  I stopped reading my Bible, setting aside prayer and journaling time, and completing my homework from my groups.  In my zealousness to grow deeper in my relationship with the Lord by filling the empty space in my schedule, I accomplished the complete opposite.  

Recently, I wanted to give back and scatter kindness to brighten the spirits of others.  It started out well intentioned and feasible, making some baskets to deliver to my team at work.  Then I continued adding to my list of “random acts of kindness” not wanting to leave anyone out.  Soon I found myself feeling overwhelmed.  It stopped being an act of joyful service, and it became a to-do item on my list of tasks to complete.  

Why, then, if I was engaging in more study groups to grow in my relationship with Christ, and I was giving of my time and treasures, did I end up feeling so worn down?    

My focus shifted from Jesus to busyness, and busyness became my idol.

Satan is sly.  He studies us and knows us well.  He will use anything he can to pull our focus off of Jesus, even our service!  Satan will tell us the lie that if we do more, give more, perform more, we will be better.  When we focus on doing rather than being, we are telling God, "I’ve got this."  We take our eyes off of Jesus and place them on the idol of busyness, service, giving, studying, etc.  Yes, even good things like service can become an idol if we are placing it over our relationship with God.  

When we focus on doing, we veer off the path God has set us on.  BUT, we don’t have to crash into the ditch.  We can ask Jesus to the wheel and correct our trajectory.

God calls us to be in relationship with Him.  He asks us to fully trust and rely on Him.  He sends the Holy Spirit to work through us, as we listen to His promptings.  He fully equips us to carry out His good works when we humble ourselves as a vessel for His will to be done.  When we allow God to sit in the driver’s seat, we will always arrive where we are meant to be and when we are meant to be there.

God doesn’t need or want our human attempts to be good and do good. 

He wants our obedience. 

I am laying down the idol of busyness at the feet of Jesus.  I am letting go of the extra groups and studies I had picked up.  I am refocusing my sights on Jesus.  As the stay at home orders are being lifted, cities and business begin to reopen, and the cleared schedules begin to fill back up, God is nudging me to find a simpler rhythm.  He is calling me to be silent so that I may hear Him.  He is urging me to be still so that I may rest in His complete peace.  He is asking me to be patient with what He is unfolding in my life so that I do not rush His perfect timing. Won't you do the same, friend?