This article describes how to live in a way that uniquely demonstrates the gospel. This article expands on the idea first presented in Gospel-Worthy Walking.
“Hey, how are you doing?”, “Oh man, you know, I’m just super busy right now.” I can’t tell you how many times I’ve responded to that question in this exact same way. Busy. I’m busy. You’re busy. We’re all busy! But I’m pretty confident that if we all take a collective step back and assess our lives, we would conclude at least two things: 1) we’re not really as busy as we think we are, and 2) we’re all guilty of being busy with the wrong things more often than we would like to admit. By now, you might be thinking you know where this is going—I’m going to tell you that you have more time to pray, read your Bible, and participate in church gatherings—we’ll get to that eventually. But first, I want to talk about why we should even care to get busy with what really matters in our everyday walk.
In the past, I’ve been tempted to think that the solution to my “busy problem” was to task master my way through my never-ending to-do list—my wife has lovingly named it my “Go Mode.” I can always tell when I shift into “Go Mode” because I literally list every task on my mind on a physical or electronic note. Then I put my head down, charge forward, and get it all done. Without a doubt, along the way, some other stuff makes its way onto the list, and all the while, I’m either arrogantly or ignorantly looking for rest in productivity. But, I actually find frustration in the never-ending wheel of responsibilities and things to do. I get busy taking care of the busyness by busying myself trying not to be busy!
But here’s the reality: I will always be busy. You will always be busy. All of us will always be busy! So we must choose to be busy with what really matters. Here's what I mean by that: the word busy could be defined as keeping occupied or having a great deal to do. I don’t mean that I just need to keep myself occupied—that is what my “Go Mode” is all about. Instead, I have a great deal to do, because I believe that all of my life is all for Jesus. Abraham Kuyper once said, “There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry, ‘Mine!’” So what we do, when we do it, how we do it, why we do it, and where we do it all matters because we really don’t even belong to ourselves—this whole thing isn’t about any one of us, yet we foolsihly tend to operate as if that were true!
So, how do we prioritize our lives? If we don’t set priorities, we will spend up our lives merely keeping occupied. It seems like it should be simple, for example, maybe we need to implement utilizing some tool like the Eisenhower Decision Matrix to run through every opportunity that comes our way. But it’s even simpler than that, I believe the key is found in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18:
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
Christian Priorities Must Start with Rejoicing, Praying, and Giving Thanks
The ultimate priority for the Christian is not productivity; it is aligning ourselves with God's will, specifically, becoming more like Christ, as evidenced by rejoicing always, praying without ceasing, and giving thanks in all circumstances—as for those in Christ, this is the way. When someone comes to me seeking counsel, the question is often posed as “Is it ok if I ______?” And unless it is a clear black and white Bible-based answer, my response is typically something along the lines of, “You’re asking the wrong question: you should not be asking if it is okay; you should be asking if doing this will help you glorify God.” Our priorities must start with vertical consideration before they move to horizontal realization. Jesus makes this clear in the Great Commandment (Matthew 22:36-40).
Author James Clear recently wrote the following about what we set our minds on in his weekly newsletter:
The more control you have over your attention, the more control you have over your future. And it starts with having enough courage to protect your time. It's so easy to say yes. We want to be agreeable, helpful, liked. That's how time disappears and attention becomes fragmented: not in big chunks, but in a thousand small concessions. What you trade your attention for is what your life becomes.
Upon reading this, I immediately thought of Colossians 3:1-4:
If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
We must first get our minds right by having the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16). This is no small task, but it really isn’t a task after all; it is our identity. And I know there's no better way to do that than to spend time praying, reading the Bible, and gathering with our church family (see, I told you we’d get here). We cannot get on being busy working for Jesus, without primarily working with Jesus. After all, we have a great deal to do! So whether you're mowing the lawn, washing dishes, working late, relaxing with family, feeding the children, or enjoying a s'more by the fire - because of Jesus we get to do that to the glory of God!
One way my family has sought to live out a properly prioritized life is by making sure everyone in our family knows what we’re about. We made a family mission statement, printed it on a canvas, and hung it on the most prominent wall in our home—and we reference it often in discipline, through praise and correction alike. It reads, “We are the Andersons, we live to glorify God, love others, work hard, and have fun.” Each of those points has some subtext that helps to provide more context and a myriad of Scripture references to back them up, but you get the idea. That’s my family's mission statement. And hopefully you know our mission statement at Veritas Church is to raise up mature disciples, send out everyday missionaries, glorify God. So what about you? Do you have a mission statement? Even if it's not pretty words on the wall, I bet you actually do—you just might not realize that it is a side quest compared to the ultimate mission you’re actually supposed to be on. So what would it look like for you to get your priorities right in your everyday life to align with God's sovereign will for you to become more like Jesus and be about what he is about—specifically his own glory (1 Corinthians 10:31)?
The more I make my life about closeness to Jesus and seeking first the Kingdom of Heaven, the more satisfied and restful I feel. What a gift that God would even share his priorities with us?! May we live lives that reflect the immeasurable riches that have been lavished on us by our great and generous Heavenly Father to the watching world around us, because let's face it—we know of the only priorities that actually have eternal significance.