First of all, take this test to determine how busy you are.  Are you a busy person?  Do you find that you often don't have time for a lot of things you want to do, or even need to do?

   We'll start off with some myths about busyness:
     1. Busyness=Importance
     2. Someone actually wins the rat race.
     3. Hurrying will buy you more time.
     4. Downtime=Wasted Time
     5. Yelling at other drivers will make them go faster

I know that last myth is kind of absurd, but a lot of people struggle with this in their busy lives.  I remember a pastor once saying that he began taking off his seatbelt when pulling into the parking lot of the church.  Did those few seconds he saved really buy him any time?  Probably not.  If you believe any of the above myths, you may need to change your perspective on busyness.

   Busyness has many negative effects.  It affects our performance in school.  The Message version of the Bible says in Colossians 3:17, 'Let every detail in your lives--words, actions, whatever--be done in the name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of the way.'  This may be more familiar in the NIV, 'And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.'  This includes school!  Do your best for God in every aspect of your lives.  Just because you're busy doesn't mean you should slack off in your schoolwork.

   Busyness may affect you if you work.  Are you a workaholic?  Will you have those tendencies to become busy?  Or are you a slacker at work?  Colossians 3:25 of the Message says, 'The sullen servant who does shoddy work will be held responsible.  Being Christian doesn't cover up bad work.'  Work your best, but don't overwork yourself.

   Busyness affects our personal and recreational life.  Do you take time for yourself to enjoy life?  Do you take time to fellowship with God and other Christians?  When is your Sabbath?  What does it consist of?  Some of us go to church on Saturday, some of us go to church on Sunday.  Romans 14:5-8 says, 'One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike.  Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.  He who regards one day as special, does so to the Lord.  He who eats meat, eats to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains, does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God.  For none of us lives to himself alone and none of us dies to himself alone. If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord.  So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.'  Whether you spend Tuesday in fellowship or Sunday in fellowship, just make sure you do it.  In Acts 2:46 it says, 'Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts.  They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts.'  The early Christian church met together everyday!  Hebrews 10:24-25 says, 'And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.  Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another'and all the more as you see the Day approaching.'  We're not under the Law anymore, but there's a reason God wants us to meet together.  We no longer have to 'keep the Sabbath,' but we do need to meet together for edification and learning.  You need to take a day of rest to both fellowship with other Christians and spend time with God.

   Busyness affects our relationships with other people.  You don't want your busy schedule to get in the way of loved ones.  If you're worried that this might be happening, check out the warning signs.  Do your conversations seem real?  Do you or both you and your loved one talk just about yourself?  While you're talking to someone, are you going through a mental to-do list?  Watch out!  If your focus is on what you're supposed to be doing and not on your loved one, this relationship may be headed for difficult times.  You'll need those friends!

   Of course, busyness can also affect our walk with God.  My campus minister was talking about how angry he was when the One Minute Bible came out.  It had devotions that would only take one minute!  You may be thinking, 'How can someone spend only one minute in the Word?'  Think on your own life.  Are there days when you skip reading the Bible altogether or rush through it to get on to something else?  Are you truly worshiping God by not spending any real time with him?  Look at Luke10:38-42:

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 only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.'

Martha got so busy that she forgot the big picture!  She was so worried about doing things that could have been put off that she missed out on listening to Jesus and spending intimate time with Him.  Don't let this happen to you!

   Fight busyness!  Right now, determine your top five priorities.  Make two lists: One with what you want you top five priorities to be, and one with what your top five priorities actually are.  Then grab a notebook and carry it with you everywhere you go for a week.  Write down everything you do in that week.  After the week is up, look at your notebook.  Notice the difference between which things were urgent and which were important.  What things could you have cut out or put off for a little bit?  Next, make healthy commitments.  Matthew 5:37 says, 'Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.'  After all, 'The quality of your yeses is determined by the quantity of your nos.'  It's ok to say no!  You don't have to take on everything in this world.  Just remember to do what you have set out to do, and do it well!  Finally, in fighting busyness, make sure you don't go to the opposite extreme: laziness.  Bill Hybels writes, 'the archenemy of spiritual authenticity is busyness, which is closely tied to something the Bible calls worldliness ' getting caught up with this society's agenda, objectives and activities to the neglect of walking with God.'  You don't want to get caught in this.  Remember to put God first.  Matt Redman says, 'So often when my worship has dried up, it's because I haven't been fueling the fire.  I haven't set aside any time to soak myself under the showers of God's revelation.  Often, time is the key factor.  But if we can find space to soak ourselves in God's Word, his presence, his creation and spend time with other believers, then we'll find that the revelation floods back into our lives, and our hearts will respond with a blaze of worship once more.'  Set aside time for God so that your hearts can blaze with worship once more.