BJU Press Blog

busyness

Finding the Silent Night in the Busyness

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silent night of Christ's birth
How silent was the night of Jesus’s birth, really? Caesar Augustus’s census had brought many people to Bethlehem. The town was overcrowded. The animals would have been noisy around Jesus’s manger. Angels were singing and proclaiming in the fields. So most likely, all was not calm around the virgin mother and the holy infant. In fact, that night may have been one of the noisiest, most chaotic nights in Judea that year.

You might feel like the Christmas season is similarly chaotic for your family. Given all the holiday activities, volunteer opportunities, gifts to purchase and wrap, and visits with friends and family members, it’s no wonder we often feel like we need to do less during this season so we can focus more on the gift of Christ’s birth. But all of those things really are good, especially for creating lasting memories with your children. And you won’t find the silent night by not celebrating the season.

You’ll find the silent night in the stillness after the celebration. After you’ve reunited with friends and family, after you and your children have delighted in and rediscovered familiar stories and carols, after you’ve played and rejoiced through the day, that’s where the silent night will be. It’s in the faces of sleepy children when you tell them the story of Jesus’s birth and God’s most precious gift to His people. It’s in “the Son of God, love’s pure light,” who came to us at “the dawn of redeeming grace.”

Merry Christmas, from BJU Press!

Escaping the Busyness Trap

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escape the busyness trap
A trap is ensnaring many families today—the trap of busyness. Homeschool families seem to be among the busiest. Besides school, parents and children are also involved in co-ops, sports, music lessons, and other programs. From the time family members get up in the morning until bedtime at night, their days are packed doing something or going somewhere, and even free time is filled with some sort of activity. Their days become an unending series of appointments, games, practices, and lessons that leave them exhausted, but they seem unaware of the box this busyness trap puts them in.

The Harmfulness of the Busyness Trap

A good question to ask is “Why are we so busy?” Because we don’t want our children to miss out on something really important? Perhaps because we feel pressured by society to add extra activities to our schedules? It almost seems as if it’s a competition among families to see who’s the busiest! Of course, the many things we have to do contribute to busyness: work, school, doctor’s appointments, housework, and so on. In addition to those we have so many good options for providing our children a well-rounded upbringing, such as music, art, and sports. But all these things, beneficial as they may be, can also bring unintended stress to our lives.

This extra busyness can harm us in various ways—physical weariness, emotional strain, spiritual weakening, and even academic regression. Pouring all our time and energy into so many different activities can rob us of the strength we need to focus on what is most vital—worshiping and glorifying God. And when we’re not doing that, every other area in our life suffers. Nothing is more important than our personal relationship with God, and no program can make up for one-on-one fellowship with Him. Even busyness in serving the Lord can become a hindrance if we’re not careful. Ministry should never come before communion with God. Jesus Christ is the perfect example of balancing service and fellowship. He was busy to the point of exhaustion but never to the detriment of His relationship with His Father.

Precautions to Take

How can we avoid falling into the busyness trap? First, we need to evaluate all the activities we’re involved in and prayerfully consider what level of busyness our family can handle. Every family is different and views busyness from a different perspective. Instead of comparing our schedules to other families’ routines, we should arrange our own according to what we believe will honor the Lord.

Now’s the time to teach our children to be busy in things that matter for eternity and then prioritize other activities. My husband recently made the observation that a busy life does not necessarily mean a full life. It’s OK to slow down, relax, and enjoy restful times with our families. By God’s grace, we can learn to balance busyness in a way that pleases Him.

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Jennifer is a pastor’s wife and mom of two young girls and loves homeschooling them. During her own twelve years of being homeschooled, Jennifer developed a passion for reading and writing. She earned a bachelor’s degree in creative writing and relishes writing during her free time.

What Am I Accomplishing with My Time?

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The other night I collapsed in bed after a long, exhausting day and took stock of my accomplishments. I couldn’t come up with much. Yes, I had sent two loads of laundry through the washer and dryer, but there were at least another three loads waiting for their turn. Yes, I had picked up dozens of stray toys and socks off the floor, but most of my house still looked like a disaster zone. Yes, I had spent over an hour fixing dinner, but three picky eaters had almost refused to eat it. It had been a discouraging day but not an unusual one.

As a stay-at-home homeschool mom, my days are filled with a lot of busyness. I stay plenty busy teaching as well as facilitating our Distance Learning courses. I never lack for dishes to wash, laundry to do, meals to make. But despite all the busyness, I rarely feel like I accomplish much.

On days like these, I often have to remind myself that my accomplishments are not always visible nor are there ever enough hours in the day to do everything. It’s essential for me to choose to spend my time doing the “best” things, the things that God wants and that will count for eternity. Here’s the list of “best things” that I try to focus on.

My Need for a Close Relationship with God

I can’t afford to cheat on this one—ever. For me, this means that I have to pull myself out of bed at 5:25 every morning. But the thirty minutes or so of quietness that I get to spend reading my Bible and praying is well worth it. This time fortifies my soul for all the craziness and unexpected turns of each day. (Psalm 119 records the myriad of ways that God’s Word benefits us, and in Psalm 145:18, God promises to be near those who call on Him.)

The Needs of My Husband

If my husband asks me to do something, that “something” moves to the top of my priority list once I’ve had my time with the Lord. It doesn’t matter whether the request involves making a phone call, sewing on a button, or taking the car in for an oil change. By making his needs my priority, I’m getting a chance to demonstrate love and submission. (Colossians 3:18 commands this of me!)

The Needs of My Children

My children have physical, spiritual, and emotional needs that take up a lot of my time. Sometimes it’s hard to pause my dinner preparations or my cleaning sprees and take the time to figure out the cause of an argument, patch up a scraped knee, or help a child through a challenging math problem. But when I readily put aside my own “to do” list, I’m demonstrating love and compassion to my children. (Titus 2:4 admonishes me to love my children, and John 15:12–13 helps me understand what true love really is.)

The Needs of Other Believers

Paul admonishes believers to “do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith” (Galatians 6:10). Sometimes that might mean I cook extra so that we can take a meal to someone who needs it. Sometimes it might mean I let someone borrow our things. Other times, it might mean I take a few minutes to write someone a quick note of encouragement. The time I spend on these tasks is not wasted. It gives me a chance to exercise my spiritual gifts and show love to my brothers and sisters in Christ.

The Needs of the Unsaved

Every week my family and I minister at a Bible club for kids. Most of the children do not attend church and don’t know much about the Bible. Some come week after week. Others we only see once or twice. Whatever time that we have with these kids is precious because it is an opportunity to plant the seed of the gospel (or perhaps to water it). Again, I don’t consider this time wasted. Not only is it a good opportunity to teach my own children about ministry, but it’s also an opportunity to fulfill the Great Commission Jesus gave us to go and make disciples (Matthew 28:18–20).

Depending on your situation in life, your list of “best things” may look very different from mine, and my list certainly isn’t perfect. I struggle daily to keep my work properly balanced. Thankfully, I can claim the promise of James 1:5 and rest in the fact that God will give me wisdom about how to spend my time if I ask Him. He’ll give you that wisdom as well. So take some time at the beginning of this new year to prayerfully consider how God would want you to use the time He’s given you.