Busyness Stifles Spiritual Growth

Busyness Stifles Spiritual Growth
by
January 29, 2025

Many of us have been reading and studying John Mark Comer’s book Practicing the Way to go along with our current sermon series. In the book, Comer says, “The call to apprentice under Jesus is not a call to do more but to do less. It’s not addition but subtraction.” Many people have a hard time with this concept. Comer later continues, “The elephant in the room is that the vast majority of us have far too much going on to ‘add’ Jesus into our overly busy schedules” (pg. 60). Comer makes the case that if you want to go deeper in your faith, you will have to carve out the time to do it.

We live in a culture that rewards busyness, multitasking, production, accomplishment, and getting things done. Many times, when we ask somebody how they are doing, we hear a common refrain – “I’m so busy, just running around like crazy.” Is this a good thing?

Busyness is not compatible with spiritual growth and deeper reflection. In American culture, we laud achievement and accomplishment while frowning upon laziness and complacency. Most people who achieve success tend to have a hard work ethic and a proactive personality that takes initiative. Every person has a different capacity.

Presbyterian pastor and author Eugene Peterson articulates it this way in his memoir: “The cultural conditions in which I am immersed require a kind of fierce vigilance to guard my vocation from these cultural pollutants so dangerously toxic to persons who want to follow Jesus in the way that he is Jesus. I wanted my life, both my personal and working life, to be shaped by God and the scripture and prayer.”

George Buttrick taught at both Harvard and Vanderbilt Divinity Schools and was the pastor of Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church in New York City. Buttrick intentionally reserved his mornings for study, prayer, and sermon preparation. He would only take meetings and appointments in the afternoon. He maintained this schedule over the course of many decades. He knew the importance of setting clear boundaries.

Many in our culture will say they want to grow spiritually and in their faith, but if their weekly or daily schedule is closely analyzed, no time is reserved for this to happen. One activity leads to another and then to another. Some have a hard time saying no because they are people pleasers. Yes, Americans are a busy people, but what are we busy doing? Many of the things that zap our time are not as important as we think.

Leadership expert Ron Heifetz talks about the importance of finding “sanctuary,” which he describes as “the mental or physical haven to which one can intentionally retreat to create space for reflection and renewal.” Sanctuary allows us to take a step back from our specific context to do self-care and to assess our own physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual state. Unfortunately, many in our culture do not have a place or method of finding sanctuary. Many turn to alcohol, drugs, shopping, and social media to cope with the stress of a busy life. This is not the same as taking time to grow and mature.

Intentional time must be set aside for prayer, stillness, study, and reflection. Busyness is what we know and often what we resort back to. Meanwhile, our spiritual lives suffer and we stay exhausted. Comer says, “Many of us are operating at a dangerous level of tired.” Guarding time to be still and quiet on a daily basis is healthy and will enable us to live meaningful and more balanced lives.

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