Ron Hutchcraft Ministries - Too Busy Not to Care

We Are Too Busy

I'm convinced that one of the primary reasons why most Christians do not reach out to lost people with the Gospel (Acts 1:8 ) is not because they are heartless toward the lost or afraid of witnessing. It is because people are just too busy and too tired from being too busy. And it keeps them from being able to show they care.

Let's face it, today's pace of life is off the charts for most families. There is so much information available to keep our minds occupied, there are more activities than ever for each family member to commit to during the week, transportation methods are almost unlimited, and communicating with people around the world has been made possible by the touch of a button. We have much to occupy our minds and energy.

We Are Not Alone

The result has been a national crisis of well-meaning self-centeredness. We are so absorbed in our own lives that we cannot easily see the people around us who need hope. And we aren't the first ones who have struggled with this. Jesus had the same problem with His disciples in Luke 9:12-14 . Late in the afternoon the Twelve came to him and said, "Send the crowd away so they can go to the surrounding villages and countryside and find food and lodging, because we are in a remote place here."

He replied, "You give them something to eat." The undertone in this text is that the disciples were really saying "Uh, Jesus, truth is, we're worn out from serving you today and we're getting hungry. Surely everyone else is tired like us. Can we have them make their way now so we can eat and relax a bit?"

We Cannot Not Care

But Jesus told them to look up from their own neediness give the people what they desired most. It takes intentionality to look outside of ourselves and notice the lives of others. Here's an acronym that I want to share as a way to help us become others-centered:

O. Open your eyes to people around you for the next seven days. Take time to look into their faces. Listen to their words.
T. Tackle the non-essentials in your schedule that are choking the life out of you. If you want to be in touch with the needs of others, listen carefully to what your own life is telling you.
H. Honor others regularly above yourself. Make heroes of the people who typically get overlooked, and keep it genuine.
E. Even when you are at the most exhausting point of your day, allow God to multiply what little strength you have left to love others around you who still hunger and thirst.
R. Remember why you are where you are. You are Christ's ambassador, positioned by God to represent Him and speak His words into the lives of others He died to rescue.
S. Serve someone different each day in a way that matters to them. A soft drink and listening ear can go a long way.