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Getting Too Busy To Have Joy


It is funny how life is. A few weeks ago I waited until the last minute to attempt to write the TND, and I asked God for his help. As always he helped me, and you can read about that experience by clicking here. After that happened, I promised myself not to let that happen again. So over the following few weeks I have been working on a devotional called "Tasty Christians".

Quite frankly, I have tinkering with "Tasty Christians" for quite sometime and I was looking forward in doing it this week. I woke up this morning exited about it and I knew that during my break today that I would type up tonights devotional and everything would be great. Boy was I wrong, Life had other ideas. Here is an itemized list.

Life's other ideas.

1) Sick Child

2) Exhausted Wife

3) Clogged Toilet (Possibly something the children put in)

4) Had to go to work.

5) Come home to learn about a situation at my wife's job.

6) Went back to work to take care of some things.

7) Came back home to fix dinner and take care of another job related situation.

8) Had 30 minutes of peace for the first time all day.

9) Time to get the children to bed, and it dawns on me that I am almost 3 hours past the due date for tonight's TND.

Although this is an overly simplified description of my day, I am sure you get the point. Needless to say, I was and still am embarrassed that I missed the dead line. However, I was more upset that I did not get to talk about my desired topic. Not knowing what to do, I decided I would just type it up tomorrow and just apologize for being late. After deciding that, I began to get my children to bed.

However, as I was rocking my youngest son, I remembered something my Aunt Sharon said a long time ago.

If the Devil cannot make you sin, he will make you busy. Either way he takes your joy.

I sat there amazed, realizing that another TND has come and I am lost on what to do. The first time it was my fault, I waited until the last minute and felt guilty for doing so. This time I was prepared, I just needed to type up my thoughts, but life just got complicated. Even though I know in my heart I did nothing wrong, I feel just as guilty as if I did. My joy had been taking away.

DO NOT LET YOUR LIFE GET SO BUSY THAT IT TAKES YOUR JOY

What a simple and yet powerful concept. Too often we let life's little problems and situations take more of out of us than they should. These little problems when left uncheck become monstrous and before long we find ourselves too busy for God. However, recall Hebrew 12:1.

Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

Notice what the scripture says here, it says to lay aside "every weight" and then it says "sin". It is not by chance that these things are said separately. The scripture here says that anything sinful or not could be a hindrance for us. So we must ask ourselves, what is keeping us from our joy, what is keeping us from truly enjoying God's presence. Is it a thick layer of sin, or is simply letting life getting too complicated.

I think for me, life just got to complicate today. I became too busy, some of that was my own fault because I tend to be a perfectionist. Nevertheless, my joy was stolen, but only for a little while.

GETTING THE JOY BACK

As I said earlier, after having such a busy day and missing the deadline, I felt my joy ripped away. As I rocked my youngest, I felt as a prisoner in my own mind. I was basically having a pity party, upset at my own stupidity. I was also trying to reason a way to save face and not be so embarrassed by missing the TND.

As all the this was going on, I already said that Aunt Sharon voice came to me, but so did something else. It was other voice that simply said talk about what happened, and do it tonight. So here am doing as instructed, recalling that obedience is better than sacrifice. Although I am tired, and my eyes are bloodshot and blurred; I feel a gentle presence that says he loves me.

I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord

Psalms 122:1

I know that this devotional is not the church, but for me I feel as it is. My joy has been restored not because of any great wisdom I have shared, but because I went to the Lord's house to testify, even if it was only virtual.

It is a joy to be God's house, and in service of one who loves us. Yes, life get's busy but forsake not the assembly of yourselfs in church, out of church and anywhere that God's people may be. Do you want joy? Then be a part of the church. You do not have to be perfect, you just have to be there and you have to be willing do something.

BRINGING IT TOGETHER

So in summation, life can get crazy and the devil will steal your joy by keeping it that way. However, if you can make time for God, even late at night, God will make time for you. Do not let the Devil take your joy, keep it by making sure you stay in God's House and obeying his will. Furthermore, if you cannot be in God's House, make sure to take God's House within your heart.

It is now after 11PM, which is a little over 5 hours past the deadline and this TND probably has more typos, grammar errors and uncompleted thoughts than I want to know. Nevertheless, I gave my heart, and even though things may not be perfect, I have my joy, and I can go to sleep with a peace that passes understanding.

Good Night.


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Hodges Chapel Pentecostal Holiness Church

Physical Address:

540 Carrow Rd

Chocowinity, North Carolina 27817

Mailing Address:

2564 Taylor Rd

Chocowinity, North Carolina 27817

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