Is what you are doing for Christ for Christ, or busy work, can you see a purpose for the eternal in your endeavors, or are they just something to keep you occupied until the next time He calls upon you. Much of our lives are spent in trying to occupy our waking hours, seeking for things to do, trying not to be what others, or even we ourselves might consider lazy.
This is the terminology of “make work,” “busy work,” things that are done not because they require doing, not in the interest to the furtherance of the kingdom, but just something to well, keep us busy, they are more psychologically fulfilling than anything. The windows are clean, but there are those small spots yet, the yard is mowed, but it wouldn’t hurt to go over those areas again, the list is endless, and can be easily filled without any real physical exertion. There is always the possibilities of endless hours on-line, searching things of no value, trivial pursuits, the television is a great way to kill endless hours of our lives, or even the companionship of others, speaking on issues that will fade away just as this world will also. Busy work does not make us feel useful, it keeps us from feeling useless.
“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matt. 11:28) This verse is for all, but it means so much more to those whose work, whose lives, are centered around serving Christ, for though His yoke is light, and the burden to serve Him is never grievous, He is indeed a hard and demanding taskmaster. The work load rarely seems to lessen, the requirements of a willing and obedient servant are always at hand, and the work of the follower of Jesus Christ who desires to be pleasing in the eyes of his Master is all encompassing, there is very little time for busy work. This does not mean this individual has deemed it difficult, but has instead found a type of rest in the continual work, not just moments within the time frames of it.
The man of God pursues God, (1 Tim. 6:11) for the verse of Psalm 27:8 is engraved in his heart, “When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek.” When the task at hand is completed, there is little time to wait for instructions for the next obligation, for they tend to overlap, they are waiting for him, there is very little time to dawdle when following the Lord. But neither is there a rush, no hurrying is necessary, we never want to lead when it comes to matters of the spiritual, there is far too much at stake. Idle hands are not the tool of the devil, my friends, busy hands are. “Make work” is what the lost seek after a hard days labor for the world, on those days off when the daily chores are completed, they are meant to keep their minds occupied so that they do not hear the Spirit of God calling to them, so they are not brought to a mind of debate, so they will not become contemplative in their thoughts.
“Be still, and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10) There are no idle times for the born-again believer, every thought is held captive for Christ, (2 Cor. 10:5) every step is one of forward momentum, using the past to plan as well as they can for the future, but living right here, right now. The man of God knows the rest of the Spirit, the calm peace that passeth all understanding, and he is satisfied and fulfilled by the workload that is placed upon him. To know God is Sovereign is to know what it means to be a servant, and to praise Him as such is to become pleasing in the eyes of the Lord. Am I suggesting that every spare moment be spent in the studying of the Scriptures, of course not, you should not think in that way about your service, for therein lies the path of works, not the path of submission.
Seek out those times in your life that come upon you on a regular basis, those times when those spare moments are being used in busy work and modify them. Think to yourself, “Why am I doing this,” for then you will always have an answer for “Why did I do that.” Idle hands do not necessarily reflect a lazy individual, but busy hands, hands concerned with make work, show a mind that has no desire to seek the spiritual, no desire to hear the soft voice of the Spirit of God, for busy work is always of and for the world. All such endeavors are wood, hay and stubble, and will find no place in the kingdom of God, and my friends, each and every one of us is guilty of this. “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” (John 14:6)
The life our Lord spoke of cannot be found in the world, nothing it offers can give us the fulfillment that so many seek after in their busy works life, He alone is the life. A mind set on the pursuit of the knowledge of God, (2 Tim. 1:7) a face set like a flint to know nothing but Christ, is no mind for trivial pursuits, the knowledge of this world is just that, a useless pursuit, and it holds no sway over the child of God. “I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me.” (Prov. 8:17) Not those who have determined that serving Christ is a part-time job, not those who see the toils and struggles of this world as their first pursuit, not those servants who have decided to serve only in part.
A small part of what is waiting for us in heaven can be found here my friends, it is something that the contemplative man knows quite well, and it expresses itself in joy. The happiness of this world is a cheap imitation of the joy of the Lord, and those who are continually performing busy works tasks will never know that joy, for they have not learned to be still, and know that He is God.
