We all have the same number of hours in a day. Some things should be non-negotiable. Being busy is normal. Make sure you are busy with the right things that show love for God and for your neighbours.

Everyone tells me that they are busy. It has become the standard response whenever I ask anyone how their week has been. It doesn’t matter what their life situation is, whether they are a working single mother or a long-term retiree, it is a badge of honour to claim busyness. If we are busy, we are important. We want to let others know that we are important people whose calendars are full.

Yet we find the time for the things that matter to us. However genuinely busy your life is, you need to eat and sleep. You need to spend time with the people that are important to you. If you’re a believer, you need to carve out time to read your Bible, to pray, and to be involved with your local church. Busy people often still have hobbies and they still watch TV; these are things that remain an important part of their lives.

There is an old saying: if you want something done, ask a busy person. It’s true. Busy people are used to making time for things that matter. Busyness is not something that means you cannot possibly do anything else.

I have increasingly seen people use busyness as a reason not to serve in the church family. Some cannot help on Sunday rosters because they are too busy. Some who used to come to church every week now come less regularly; they decide whether church fits into their schedule week by week rather than coming all the time.

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