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THE IDOLATRY OF BUSYNESS --- Dr Tan Tee Khoon, general secretary of FES


“I’d love to pray more, read more, take time to write my journal, take long walks, be still in God’s presence, spend more time getting to know friends, or take up this course or that hobby – but I’m just too busy. I don’t have time.” Sounds familiar? Those words describe how I often feel as well.

For a good part of my life I had taken solace in that cliché phrase: “I’m just too busy.” I even convinced myself all these years that the true reasons for my busyness were external circumstances. I am hardly to blame – first, it was my studies when I was an undergraduate and of course my extremely strict professor who supervised my doctoral thesis as well. Then it was my job – those deadlines, the traffic or the urban lifestyle. Surely, if these external factors could be eradicated, I would immediately feel less restless, move more slowly and make time for those other important things.

I learn that in reality, our busy lifestyles are not primarily dictated by external factors; external factors are symptoms but not the cause of our being extremely fast-paced. We are not restless because we are busy; we are busy because we are restless. In fact, many of us are actually addicted to busyness! We are afraid of silence and inactivity. Keeping ourselves busy prevents us from having to face our emptiness within. When we are always filling our time with reading the newspaper, eating a snack, running to catch a bus, making several quick phone calls, listening to music or seeing how many errands we can accomplish in the shortest period of time, we do not have to acknowledge how little we pray, how little we really know
about or care for our friends or even, how little we know ourselves.

We bow to “The Idol of Packed Schedule” because it gives us an instantaneous legitimacy to our lives albeit superficial or temporary. We tend to feel important, needed and indispensable when we accomplish much. We have the habit of setting ourselves dozens of daily goals, and if we meet most of them, we feel successful. We often long for a daily reassurance that we are loved, and we will turn to any form of “activism” to satisfy this need. Despite our belief in God’s grace and unconditional love towards us regardless of our works, in practice we live as if we are spiritually abandoned or orphaned. We remain convinced that
we must work in order to be approved.

Of course the remedy to our restlessness does not lie in exchanging busyness for inactivity. Work is essentially good for God Himself was depicted as a worker in Genesis 1 and He left Adam and Eve to work the Garden before they sinned. Also, we are told in the “Parable of the Talents” that it was the wise investor of his Master’s resources who will one day be rewarded – in other words, those who put God’s gifts to work. Our Lord Jesus Himself worked from dawn to dusk. No, we do not need to stop working; but we may be pursuing work with the wrong motivation. We are to be busy because of our obedience to God’s call and not because of a nervous striving for self-worth. If we acknowledge in our hearts that we are fully accepted and loved by God, we will undertake the work which God calls us to do out of joy, peace and gratitude. Part of our spiritual growth, then, is to know what our work is, when to work and when to rest.

Jesus, take the wheel
Carrie Underwood

She was driving last Friday on her way to Cincinnati
On a snow white Christmas Eve
Going home to see her Mama and her Daddy with the baby in the backseat
Fifty miles to go and she was running low on faith and gasoline
It's been a long hard year
She had a lot on her mind and she didn't pay attention
She was going way to fast
Before she knew it she was spinning on a thin black sheet of glass
She saw both their lives flash before her eyes
She didn't even have time to cry
She was sooo scared
She threw her hands up in the air

Jesus take the wheel
Take it from my hands
Cause I can't do this on my own
I'm letting go
So give me one more chance
To save me from this road I'm on
Jesus take the wheel

It was still getting colder when she made it to the shoulder
And the car came to a stop
She cried when she saw that baby in the backseat sleeping like a rock
And for the first time in a long time
She bowed her head to pray
She said I'm sorry for the way I've been living my life
I know I've got to change
So from now on tonight

Jesus take the wheel
Take it from my hands
Cause I can't do this on my own
I'm letting go
So give me one more chance
To save me from this road I'm on

Oh, Jesus take the wheel
Oh, I'm letting go
So give me one more chance
Save me from this road I'm on
From this road I'm on
Jesus take the wheel
Oh, take it, take it from me
Oh, why, oh



if you want to see the video: http://www.muvids.com/carrie_underwood_videos/jesus_take_the_wheel.html

this song is really apt to describe my current situation and how i'm feeling. everything's changing too quickly....
i need jesus to take my wheel.

okie im not working so im supposed to be very free...but im not! so i should just update u guys on the various happenings.

1. have been attending sermon on the mount bible study with ryan, huiping, renkang, guoyi, angel and a few other vcf pple. they are all enriching, spirit-filled and inspiring sessions! if u wanna join, let me know. heehee. we welcome all!

2. attending anntic meetings! anntic = annual teach-in camp by vcf. i think we're doing cameron highlands...it'll be in dec. if anyone has any good lobang for accommodation, plz tell me!

3.ambassadors events. first there was the freshmen welcome tea and we had to talk to freshies over a lunch at university hall. the food was good! and then bring them on tour around nus before heading to st. james. i went in there with many drink coupons but didnt drink a single drink! then i hosted a few unis who came to visit. i cant even rmb who anymore!

4.went for vcf lpc camp. 29th-30th may

5. sad news. cousin passed away. funeral.

6. teach rose, do filing work

7. paint a bit, colour a bit

8. play a lot of piano

9. cass' bday party...haiyoh im very lousy at dates. missed my boss' bday!! ah gong i know u wont blame me. u cant live without a neck.

10. went for camp 4D. we had ktv with the comm on thurs then on fri (after piano) i went to attend the talks by rev may tan and stayed over till sat evening where i really buai tahan so i went home to sleep for 11 hrs before doing a rather bad interpretation for rev phua.

i cant rmb the other things i did...like sit at borders to read a book or 3 hrs..dunno wat i did last summer.