August 3, 2023
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For years, Haiti's had a special place in the hearts of my wife and myself. We've been there sometimes. My wife went down there on a photography mission. It's always touched our hearts. And when it's in the news, like earthquakes etc. it really gets to us. You know, I remember some years ago when my wife brought back a strange souvenir from her visit. She came home with I guess you'd call it a bacterial souvenir from a mission trip there.
We got home from the airport, opened up the luggage, greeted our three children and started to hand out the little souvenirs that we got them. Well, meanwhile, my wife retreated to the bedroom and within an hour she was like in intestinal agony with gastroenteritis. I went to the doctor a couple of times and I tried to get her something to give her relief. When all else failed, they said, "Hey, you'd better get the emergency medical people over there and bring her to the hospital.
That was a little scary. Here comes the EMS people barging in, they've got a stretcher, they've got the ambulance out in front, they're barking orders to each other. Our poor little boys just stood there wide-eyed trying to process it all, but not our 14-year-old daughter. No. No, she responded to this bad news situation differently. Suddenly she's in the kitchen doing dishes; cleaning madly; working frantically. First born! I guess she didn't want to deal directly with what was going on, so she just got busy. Yeah, it could be that first-born thing. That's not all bad unless it's God that you're avoiding dealing with.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Running Into Busyness."
Our word for today from the Word of God comes from Isaiah 30. I'll begin reading at verse 15. It's about people on the run. "This is what the sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel says, 'In repentance and rest is your salvation. In quietness and trust is your strength.' But you would have none of it. You said, 'No, we will flee on horses.' Therefore you will flee! You said, 'We will ride off on swift horses.' Therefore, your pursuers will be swift."
Now, notice here, God says to people, "I want you to repent; to rest, to trust." And they say, "Nope! I want to run. I want to run as fast as I can." You know, some of us are lifetime fugitives. Yep, we're running from something God is trying to get us to face. This says here that your pursuers will be swift; they will always catch up with you. Some escapes that we try are obviously destructive: like alcohol, drugs, or physically running away. But many Christians take the noble escape from facing issues. They just get busy in worthy causes, like my daughter bustling around in the kitchen. We get so busy, so we don't have to face the situation.
Now, on the one hand, serving others; that's a positive way to find personal healing, but not if you're working as a substitute for dealing with the issue. Think about it. When you slow down, don't you start to see some things about yourself that you don't see any other time? Some of it, well, it might be hard to face: a deeply entrenched personal sin, maybe it's a deep wound that you've never dealt with. Something God wants you to do that you'd rather avoid. It's the still, small voice of God trying to get through.
Now, either we face what He's saying, or we run like mad. If you run into busyness, even spiritual busyness, oh everyone will praise you for your dedication. But busyness that is running from the truth, is running from God, that's an escape as surely as drugs or alcohol. And it's just as addicting. Isn't it time to stop running finally and unload the stress of a neurotic, destructive busyness and just listen to God? "Be still and know that He is God." Deal with what he's been chasing you for all these years, and you won't have to run nearly so much.
Wouldn't it be nice to live without always having to look over your shoulder?