Badge of Honor

neonadmin • January 17, 2019

I wear a badge. I was awarded it by a noble group of people who are highly esteemed in our culture. I announce that I have it regularly, and I have wrapped at least some of my identity around it. That badge reads “I am busy”. You have one too?


The next time someone asks how you are, or you ask someone else, see if that all too easy reply comes out, “I’m busy”. It happens all too often. Sometimes it’s true, sometimes we just want others to think it is. Our activity level has become our standard of value. It’s not how much we make, or our titles, but rather the appearance that the world would cease to rotate without us. Nations will perish, the oceans will either rise or dry up, and all mankind will endure an existential crisis.


Of course I exaggerate, but why do we need to point out how busy we are? Is it pride? Probably sometimes it is. I think also it’s because we want someone to say “just stop it!” We want permission to let go of some responsibility, permission to get the sleep we need (how sad is that?) or permission to just say “no” to a few things. So when we say busy, do we want others to tell us to slow down?


God knew this would be a problem, that our productivity would measure our value, our accomplishments becoming trophies. He knew we’d see an outsized caricature of ourselves, forgetting that He is sovereign. He knew it would be such a problem that He commands us to take a Sabbath. Not a suggestion, not a cool idea, a command.


We often quote Psalm 46:10 that says “Be still and know that I am God”, and we say that means we need to pray quietly or listen for God’s voice. That’s not what it says in context. The Psalm is a declaration of God’s power, of His protection, and His sovereignty in the midst of chaos. Read the whole Psalm. God is saying “stop striving so hard, I’ve got this”.


God has given us things to do. If we are exhausted, if we cannot obey the sabbath, if we are just too busy for too long, then there’s a really good chance we are being disobedient in some things. Figure out what those things are, and just stop it.

< Older Post

 Newer Post >

Recent Posts

Backwards

By coreyw • August 13, 2019
Sometimes I think we have medicine backwards. Sometimes I think we do the least first, and the best last. Our approach, as Christians, is often to seek a physical cure for the body, a psychological cure for the soul and a psychiatric cure for the mind. We try everything to heal, comfort and fix others.… The post Backwards appeared first on Triangle Christian Medical Dental Associations.

Grief in it’s place

By coreyw • May 21, 2019
This spring has been a time of turmoil in many of the lives around me. Unexpected deaths, violence at schools, job losses, rebellious kids, identity issues. As we meet from week to week and month to month, I hear stories of failure, fear and despair. Some of these stories touch my life directly. Our culture… The post Grief in it’s place appeared first on Triangle Christian Medical Dental Associations.

The S Word

By coreyw • February 6, 2019
Last week I was listening to a doctor speak to the UNC SOM group during lunch. It was a powerful testimony of faithfulness, discerning God’s will and trusting God even when life takes some odd turns. I was greatly encouraged by her story The most powerful part of her testimony came when she dropped the… The post The S Word appeared first on Triangle Christian Medical Dental Associations.

This is worth reading

By coreyw • January 29, 2019
The post This is worth reading appeared first on Triangle Christian Medical Dental Associations.

Stop it!

By coreyw • December 21, 2018
I was trying to get some admin stuff done the other day, and a friend of mine called. The timing was not good as I wanted to push through what was in front of me. It was that kind of day, one interruption after another, one urgent need to the next. I’d like to say… The post Stop it! appeared first on Triangle Christian Medical Dental Associations.

Categories