Busy Signal

When God gives you a call, does He get right through?
Or does He get a busy signal? 

Keeping the line clear takes work sometimes. Decluttering of noise, of distractions and desires and thoughts vying for our attention. Too often the urgent overtakes the critical. Spiritual triage falls forgotten in the wasteland of looming work deadlines and constant barrage of social media notifications.

                              And our souls shrivel.

But Busy Is Good!

Western culture reveres "busyness" as the measure of success. The laws of supply and demand insist that the less time someone has for us, the more it is worth pursuing their attention. The heavier someone's workload, the better their skills must be. And the more exhausted we are chasing our version of a dream, the more applause we should earn. Because "busy is good!" But is it really?

Our excuses make sense. I mean, especially in the entertainment and film industry, you gotta hustle. Gigs often present themselves at the last minute, requiring shoving everything else to the side in a sprint to prepare as best we can. Long days on set leave us with next to no energy to climb into bed, much less call a family member or stay awake for a few minutes of prayer. After wrap there is that confusing season of "set lag", where our bodies do their best to recalibrate immune systems and appetites and sleep cycles amid the inevitable catching up on a mountain of mundane chores. And if you are raising a family, that adds its own set of very valid priorities and pressures.

We can't afford to take time for God. After all, we are busy serving Him! And yet, we can't afford not to.

No Time To Chew

Then, when we do make the time to take in a soul-nourishing Word, we often approach it like a task on our obese checklist rather than as a sanctuary of stillness from the rush.

​A friend shared their experience of diligently going through their daily Bible reading plan. Ten chapters: check. One day, while only on chapter two, they came across a few verses that captured their heart, but resisted the temptation to stop and dwell on them before completing their allotment of chapters. Temptation? Or invitation? They hadn't gotten too much farther before the Holy Spirit convicted them of basically telling Him to "shush until they were done." If we go to God's Word to hear Him speak, why would we treat His quickening of those words as an interruption? Yet I find I relate all too well....

To be clear, I'm not dissing reading plans. Regular meals are essential to spiritual health! But if we don't chew our food, and savor the taste and textures, we won't be digesting all the nutrients from it that we could, nor grow to anticipate the feast, if we are intent on swallowing portions whole. 

These are the Words of Life! Just because we have them readily accessible at any moment does not mean they are to be treasured less. For where our treasure is, there will our hearts be also. (see Matthew 6:21)

Breaking The Cycle

​Listen, friends, we don't have to stay stuck in this crazy cycle. I know it's usually not our conscious choice to even be in it; it just "happens" and we get too caught up in the rat-race to notice. It's like if we get a headache, and rather than drink water to treat our dehydration, we pop a pill to mask the pain. But concealing the symptoms isn't a true solution!

How do we transition to a lifestyle of valuing time with God and increase our sensitivity to His voice?

One thing I know for sure, is that it doesn't happen by accident. Like with any relationship, intentionality is key for maintenance and growth. This is something I am working toward myself; I don't have all the answers, but I am "pressing on toward the goal." (see Philippians 3: 12-16) And if I were to articulate my New Year's resolution, it would be this: Pursue God's presence, heed His voice, and live how He loves. 

1. Pursue God's Presence
Unfortunately, the fact that God is omnipresent (present always and everywhere) doesn't automatically keep me from ignoring Him. I want to practice being more aware of Him with me, and do more of the things I know He takes pleasure in. This includes letting go of things I know are getting in the way of intimacy in my relationship with God. Choosing a verse to think on throughout my day, or getting a good truth-declaring song stuck in my head, are great ways to keep my focus in the right direction.

2. Heed His Voice
Scripture tells us that God's voice is recognized by His sheep (that includes me!), so I don't need to worry about that. The harder part is being still to listen for the gentle whisper (see 1 Kings 19). It's not necessary to be in a quiet environment physically (although it certainly doesn't hurt, right?). Being still is more of an internal quieting and perking up of our heart to hear. To heed is to "take notice of and pay careful attention to." It carries a sense of alertness, mindfulness, and high regard for who or what you are heeding. So, to hear clearly I need to listen with a willing heart that is ready to joyfully obey! 

3. Live How He Loves
God loves purely and extravagantly and sacrificially. 1 Corinthians 13 is commonly called "the Love chapter" because of how thoroughly it explores the nature and power of the Love of God. The first letter the apostle John wrote (aptly titled 1 John) explores even deeper how this Love affects the way we should live. The "new commandment" Jesus gave us was to love as He has loved us (see John 13:34). Because of how He loves and restores me, I can reach out to others with that same unconditional, grace-filled, healing love. 

Whether we are raising kids, making movies, or spreading kindness to friends and strangers alike, that's to be the core of our life's mission: serving as His ambassadors of reconciliation to a broken, hurting world that He died to restore. And I never want to be too busy for that!

And [Jesus] said, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear." - Mark 4:9

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