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Someone has said, “There is always time to do God’s will.” Certainly, that has to be true. What God has given us to do we will have time to do, provided we know how to manage our time well and are disciplined in our work habits.
Here’s the next question we need to ask ourselves:
Do I set appropriate boundaries on my busyness?
Did you ever realize Jesus knew how to say, “That’s not my job”? In Luke 12 we read where a man asked Jesus to be a judge, and Jesus said, in effect, “That’s not my job.” I’m sure this man figured Jesus was the right person to settle this argument between him and his brother. But Jesus told him he was not called, nor did he intend, to become an earthly judge in human affairs. He was not unkind about it, but he certainly was direct.
In Mark 1:35-38 we see another occasion where Jesus disappointed some people. The whole town had gathered to hear Jesus, and his disciples were most anxious for him to come and please this crowd. But Jesus said no to his disciples because he said he must go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come. No doubt he disappointed his disciples and the crowd, but Jesus stayed focused on his mission. He knew how to set boundaries and refused to try to please everyone.
I used to think if I was everything I should be, everybody would be happy with me and I’d be able to please everyone. But when I realized Jesus set boundaries and said, “That’s not my job” when necessary, it freed me to know I too could set boundaries. Just because someone asks you to do something doesn’t necessarily mean you should do it.
For many of us saying no is very difficult. That’s because our worth as a person is too much based on what others think of us. When we are dependent on the opinions and affirmation of other people to feel good about ourselves and what we’re doing, then we are at their mercy. We’re going to jump through their hoops, trying to be super people, to gain their approval and therefore feel we’re okay.
If you haven’t learned how to set biblical boundaries in your life, I urge you to take this matter under consideration. There are some good Christian books on the topic, and it will be well worth your time to find out when and how you should be setting boundaries on the busyness of your life.
