Being Unbusy

Written by Jason Haines

“Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord you God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates.” -Exodus 20:8-11

Over the past few years, I have been able to sit back and think more about things going on, things in my life, and what changes I would make to be a better man. But I am old enough to remember when businesses were closed on Sundays and during all holidays. Then one day, not really sure when because I was young, but it was a big darn deal, many stores were open on Sunday and many more were open on holidays. Now at the time, because I didn’t really understand, it wasn’t a big deal to me, but I always felt it was wrong for some reason as well. I thought about this on and off and even made mention of it throughout the years in conversation as to why I felt it was wrong that businesses were open on Sundays and families had to spend time away from their families due to work and affording to live.

Then I went to work and quickly realized that I needed to pick a side as to whether I felt money was important, or family and time was important. I choose money, which today I do not fully regret because it was the decision, I made but regret none the less because of all the things that I sacrificed to make that money. I sacrificed a lot of time away from the people I loved, and this time tore up my family. I also sacrificed not turning to vices such as alcohol which I didn’t touch until 18 and fully did not become an alcoholic until about 26. I was a relatively good person, not holy, but good. Which in the eyes of God isn’t good enough because we will make compromises if we do not follow him but are good, like saying it’s ok to steal if you are poor but not if you are rich. We must realize we cannot serve two masters, and at the time I served money and greed over following God, but this really started at an early age through other teachings.

Growing up, like so many other people, I was told money was important to survive. Survive now, in the future with retirement, and always. So, it was ingrained in my head, don’t take chances, get a steady (hopefully) job with good benefits, go to college, and get a great paying job. All sounds great and when it is all you hear because you don’t find God, and you start to just listen to the people outside of the church and it is all you see then yeah that is what you think is most important. Something happened to me though and I am not sure what happened to me. If it was the disenfranchisement of working for someone, working all the time, and not really getting ahead, finding a better way to do things and no one listening, or what it really was but I changed. Or I just started finding answers to the questions that were always in my head, but I have changed. I have become less busy, less fearful, and a want for learning more.

When people ask me today if I am busy, I am not afraid to answer them, or embarrassed to answer them that I am as busy as I want to be. I used to think busyness was a badge of honor but today I know it isn’t and realize that busyness was, or is the devil working to keep us unaware of the things he is doing. Busyness caused me to not realize what was going on and kept me distracted to not pay attention to anything around me besides that I thought I was having fun, or at least I thought so. Today I have found through thought and learning that my mind has been changed and I realize I was being kept busy to keep me away from God. So, I couldn’t hear his voice and be able to follow him. I am happy to now follow God, though I have much work to do I know that I am making the right choice. Thank you.

I do not write these stories for anything other than to invite you to church with me and see the world from a different view. Regardless of whether we are in the same area or not, I invite you to church to maybe see things in a different light