Halfway through one of my late night small groups for online Bible study, I heard a sudden knock at the door. After a few seconds to put my crazy-beating heart back into my chest from being panic-stricken for just a moment, I bounded from my chair to see who would be coming to my home at such a late hour. It was Kim.
I had a dilemma. Kim needed comfort and company, but I was in the middle of Bible study. I was too distracted to think clearly, and I asked her to come back after my small group was finished. As reasonable as that sounds, I realize that I had given her such a brush off. I didn’t have time for ministry, because I was busy ministering!
What could I have done differently? I could have at least given her a hug and a warm welcome. I could have asked her to have a seat for a few minutes while I excused myself to wrap up the Bible study. This was not someone who was taking advantage; she was coming to me with a need. What was my response? I made her feel like an intrusion.
It is not that I feel like I did such a terrible thing. I know she understood. However, I am kicking myself for noticing a pattern. I didn’t have time to pray for one lady because I was busy working on music for our praise band. I didn’t have time to make a phone call to check on one of the elderly ladies in our church because I was busy working on my blog. I didn’t have time to visit someone in the hospital because I was busy cleaning my house for Bible study.
Wait a minute! Does any of this make sense? I am too busy with the tasks of ministry to actually minister to people? Have I forgotten that people are at the center of God’s heart and are the purpose of ministry? Do I treat people like an intrusion because I am too busy doing the work of ministry? How crazy!
How many of us relate to the trap of busyness getting in the way of the people in our lives? How many times do we sacrifice relationships because we are consumed with a task? Why do we put busyness before what really matters? Yet, this is a tendency we all struggle with. People can be an interruption in our lives. Relationships take a lot of effort and can be messy. However, when we step back and take a look from a wide-lens angle, the big picture shows us that it is the people in our lives that truly matter.
I hope and pray that Kim comes back. I hope that she didn’t feel the brush off that I unintentionally gave her. I want another chance to treat her with love and kindness. She is so valuable and precious to God, and that is how I must also see her.
May we all learn to realign our priorities and find balance. May we put people and relationships above busyness and our goals. Let us not treat people as an interruption in our lives when people are the very center of God’s heart. May our hearts love as Jesus loves!
P.S. Kim did come back after I finished writing this, and we stayed up half the night talking and crying. Thank God I had a second chance to show love to one of my sisters in Christ!
Announcing a New Giveaway!
Drum roll, please………………………….
I am giving away two Inspire Bibles with a set of colored pencils. This includes pages for creative journaling and coloring. What a beautiful Bible! You will treasure time spent meditating on and creatively interacting with God’s Word. This comes in the New Living Translation and includes both full page and partial page Scriptural illustrations for you to color. There is also plenty of room for taking notes and reflecting. I hope this inspires you to a new love and passion for God’s Word!
Be sure to enter today, and tell a friend!
Enter here! 
a Rafflecopter giveaway
The giveaway begins tonight, Thursday, February 2, at midnight and continues through next Thursday, February 9, at midnight. The winner will be announced next Friday! All instructions are on the Rafflecopter link.
God bless!
How exciting, thank you for the giveaway.
Thanks! I am excited about this!
Oh my goodness, do you know just how timely this blog is for me today?! I literally just sat down overwhelmed and defeated today with my leader in the online group I colead with and asked,”What do I do?!” “It’s all good, and it’s all God!” I was met with the simple reply, you can’t do it all. God has been pulling my heart away in another direction and there is so much fruit being grown and evident there through God, but I am not giving my full attention there because I’m giving pieces of me in another ministry, and then time is falling short with children’s ministry where I know they need hands at my local church, and most importantly, I’m SO busy trying to minister, that God is even not getting a lot of time with me, and as the saying goes…”You can’t pour from an empty cup!”. I am learning what is important also, but most importantly where God is leading my own heart. I dont have to run myself ragged trying to do so much for God at one time. In reality, what He’s placed on my heart and even the few things He’s entrusted me with, I need to give it my full attention and see what may not be meant for me, so that I can put it down. Thank you for such a timely post! It’s easy to get lost and feel “guilted”(in my case) to having to do it all and spread your schedule so thin that you’re missing the oh so important things God needs your focus on right now. 🙂
Chastity, I cannot believe how much I relate to what you just wrote. We have a lot in common! This is the very thing that has set my heart and mind back into balance. When I was praying about my “one word” for 2017, I felt that God was speaking to my heart, reminding me to put relationship before ministry. I chose the word “Devoted” to remind myself to seek intimacy with God first and foremost, and then all ministry will stem from that. It has helped my perspective so much! We serve because we love God, but it is futile to “pour from an empty cup.” I agree with you wholeheartedly about that! When we seek God with all our hearts, He has promised that we will find Him. Then, it will be clear to us where to draw the line and how to balance ministry. I am still a work in progress, but this is teaching me to fall more in love with Jesus than ever before. Don’t allow anyone or anything to guilt you, but allow yourself to be refreshed and renewed in the presence of God. Then, everything else will fall into balance.
Shari Lewis, that is SO very true! I’m a “people pleaser”, so saying “no” sometimes can be quite difficult for me. God is teaching me to regain my focus on Him and not things of this world. I have these women that God’s placed in my care and on my heart, and even though I’m running trying to do so many other things for Him, I’m still neglecting those relationships and the oh so important time with Him that I shouldn’t be.Thank you for that insight! I too am still a work in progress, but God continues to show me His loving mercy and a subtle redirection and focus on Him every now and again as needed. 🙂 Guilt is something hard for me not worry over, but I know with God that He stands with me and as I follow Him and His call for me, nothing else really matters. Balance is key, and I’ve been praying so hard about finding just that!
Amen! I am definitely a work in progress as well, and I learn so much from the wonderful online friends God has put in my path!
Sheri, I was just able to join you Facebook bible study. I relate to your story about being to busy with ministry to minister. I was abused as a child and 9 years ago I had a mental breakdown. It has taken that time to get where I am now. I fought going to a 12step bible based program called celebrate recovery, but final went. I graduated and decided to be a leader. I listen to Satan tell me I wasn’t good enough to help others with their hurts. I listened to satan! It took some time and I finally listen to God and now I’m a leader and sponsor to two wonderful, young ladies! God uses whatever bad for the good! He had a plan and I’m doing that plan!
Sharon, so nice to meet you! I’m glad you have joined our Bible study! I am quite familiar with Celebrate Recovery. Our church was involved with that ministry for quite awhile, and I saw a lot of lives changed. I’m glad you recognize the source of lies when the enemy tries to convince you that you aren’t qualified to minister to others. I have heard that lie myself! With all that God has brought you through, what a marvelous opportunity for God to show His grace and love through you to others! Praise God for how He is using you! May you continue to lean on Him and trust in His grace! God bless!
Hi Shari, I have five sisters. We have all been traumatized in our childhood. All of us are carrying around effects of that abuse/neglect. Somehow I fared better than others in my ability to put it behind me and lead a responsible life. That is wonderful for me, but they can’t seem to do that. And, so I have become responsible for them. This takes a LOT of time away from my family and my dreams and goals. But, I cannot seem to say “no”. This is really becoming a problem for me because my husband is so tired of it. I have been called away over one emergency or another by at least 3 of them in one week’s time. 🙁 Anyway, I would LOVE that Bible. It would be a great way for me to relax and work on me.
Amy, I’m glad you all have been able to move past that time in your life. Praise God! However, too often we can become co-dependent on those we either feel responsible for, or those we depend on. I honestly feel that a relationship with Christ is the most important foundation for healing, and the Word of God is our primary source. However, with some situations, professional help may be necessary. Whether it is for your sisters to have guidance to learn how to live crisis-free, or if it is for you to learn how to balance taking care of yourself and others. I think this particular Bible would be a real blessing to give you a chance to relax and interact with God’s Word in a creative and contemplative way. God bless!
Hi Shari, We had such a wonderful service at our church, today. I really felt the presence of God. I did inquire into some faith-based counseling while I was there. I volunteer on the Media team so, even though it is a very large church, I’m able to interact with a lot of the pastors there. Pastor David is going to connect with someone to talk to. Praise God.
I am so happy to hear that! Praise God for providing!
I have often times found myself neglecting my own family in order to serve others. One big eye opener for me was when I spent so much time preparing and delivering a meal to an elderly couple. The house smelled wonderful because of the food that I cooked but the problem was, I didn’t make enough or anything else for that matter to feed my own family.
Oh, I relate to this! I have done that far too often. I also clean my house better for company than I do for my own family. We were talking about this with the ladies in my church recently, and we made a pact. Any time we make a treat for the church, we have promised each other that our husbands get the first serving from now on. I got this idea from Courtney Joseph at Women Living Well. My husband loves this!
Thanks Shari for your ministry. It is a blessing to so many of us. I am enjoying and learning with your online study of 1 Corinthians. Have a great day.
Thank you, Polly! You are such a blessing!
I have also found myself in this rut. Thank you for reminding me that life’s interruptions are not always a bad thing, but sometimes God is placing us in an opportunity moment to share what we have learned.
We are too busy, and God will show us that by putting obstacles in our path that tell us to slow down…