Bees are known for being hard working. They collect pollen and nectar in order to pollinate plants and flowers. Many plants actually depend on bees for pollination. Bees collect nectar and they use that to make honey. They also work together to build hives that provide shelter, protection, and food storage. You have probably heard the saying, "busy as a bee." The phrase dates back to the 1300s in a book called, "The Canterbury Tales" by Geoffrey Chaucer. Wow, if Mr. Chaucer could see how busy we are now!
I wrote a blog, "Enjoy Life Now" and God really spoke to me about being too "busy". These first two paragraphs are from that blog. "When we stay "busy" all the time we are not enjoying life. The sad part of that is that we are not attracting others to God. If we are grumbling and exhausted it does not make a relationship with God look attractive! We cannot let our circumstances dictate our life. We must keep our focus on God's Word. We must keep our focus on His love for us. Psalm 118: 24, "This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." (ESV) When we stay "busy" all the time we are not enjoying life.
We have come a long way from our ancestors! At dark they went to bed and slept because they had worked physically. No one was calling or texting them. There was no tv on. We never feel like we have enough time in a day. We just move from one task to another. We are paying bills, going to meetings, working out, taking kids to practice, playing tennis, shopping and somehow we have lost focus on what is really important.
We try to keep up with latest, greatest and we become stressed, overworked and exhausted. And we are spiritually starved! I know Satan loves this. He loves to see us distracted because that takes us away from our time with God. Romans 12: 2, "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
Mark 6: 31, "Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to [His disciples], ‘Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.'" As we have talked about, God wants us to live a peaceful life and hear His still, quiet voice over the clutter in our lives. Even Jesus had to get away from life's clutter and take time to rest and listen to God.
I always say there is a story in the Bible for everything we go through and I think God had me in mind when this one was written. Luke 10: 38-42, "As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, ‘Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!’ ‘Martha, Martha,’ the Lord answered, ‘you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.’”
I tend to be Martha rushing around being a busy bee. We must intentionally make time to slow down or we will miss the glimpses of Jesus all around us! Jesus said, “Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”
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