Tag: Peace

Bees, Busyness, and the Bible

“Hello, how are you?”

“Busier than I’d like to be.”

Is this your response when you meet a friend? Everyone’s busy. In fact, our culture becomes busier every day. We’ve become a nation of multitaskers who find it difficult to wait at a stoplight without looking at our phones.

I have been busy for most of my life. Mastering the ability to multitask helped me survive the demands of my day. As an elementary teacher, I became a pro at taking attendance, listening to morning announcements, and monitoring the students simultaneously. When I arrived home from work, I helped my kids with their homework while preparing dinner. On Sunday mornings, after I sang with the worship team, I raced to help with children’s church. Sadly, I had linked my self-importance to my level of activity. The thought of too many blank spaces on my calendar made me feel unneeded. I was beyond busy…and eventually I burned out.

Retirement ushered in a major lifestyle change for me. After considering several creative interests, I decided to pursue one hobby—writing. I also decided to cut back on my volunteer work. In this season of my life, my old self tries to make me feel guilty about how happy I am.

Is all busyness bad?

Bees are busy. They work all day flitting from flower to flower collecting pollen in order to fulfill God’s plan for their lives. I’ve never seen a stressed out bee. Like the bees, each one of us has God-given talents which He purposed for us to use. When we stray from our destiny, we flounder.

“The busyness that’s bad is not the busyness of work, but the business that works hard at the wrong things.”

—Kevin DeYoung, author of Crazy Busy.

In addition to working hard at the wrong thing, we can work for the wrong reason. In my case, compliments from others about “what a good job I was doing” encouraged me to work harder, and take on my more responsibilities. I was trying to please man more than God.

A familiar story comes to mind from Scripture. Jesus came to visit Mary and Martha. Upon his arrival, Martha was “distracted by all the preparations that had to be made.” She complained about Mary not helping her.

Jesus answered, “Martha, 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 from her.” Luke 10:41,42 (NIV)

Was Martha working hard at the wrong thing? Was she working for the wrong reason? Either way, Martha had not chosen what Jesus thought was best. She busied herself with what she thought was important, instead of asking Jesus what he might want her to do. As a result, she became stressed out and resented her sister.

Have you noticed when we involve ourselves in God’s plan for our lives, we are happier, and more at peace? Work becomes a joy. Is that why the bees seem so content, buzzing while they work?

I confess I have not completely overcome my struggle with busyness. I want to tune into God’s plan and act upon the “one thing” which is needed instead of multitasking. How about you?  

“Let Sleeping Dogs Lie”

Everybody knows dogs like to sleep. Our beagle, Buddy, spends most of his day sleeping. Upon closer examination, he isn’t always in a deep sleep. Sometimes Buddy’s eyes are half open. He’s relaxed, but ready to bound out of bed the minute I start cooking. Did you know the amount of sleep a dog needs is relative to their age?

  • Puppies (0-12 months) need to sleep 18-20 hours a day.
  • Adult dogs (1-5 years) need 8-14 hours a day.
  • Senior dogs (5+years) require 18-20 hours a day.

Buddy is almost twelve years old now, so sleeping is the main event in his life. Just like older humans, senior dogs don’t have as much energy and need to catch some extra Z’s to stay healthy.

Buddy’s routine reminds me of the idiom, “let sleeping dogs lie.” Scholars believe the phrase dates back to the 1300’s, specifically to a sentence written by Geoffery Chaucer in Troilus and Criseyde. Here is the phrase in old English:

“It is nought good a slepyng hound to wake.”

Clearly, Chaucer knew that if you wake a sleeping hound, he might become aggressive because he wants to protect himself.

“Let sleeping dogs lie” is also a proverb, since the phrase gives advice for wise living. Experience teaches us it is better to ignore a problem, if trying to solve it can cause a greater problem.

Similar advice is offered in the bible. “Like one who seizes a dog by the ears is a passer-by who meddles in a quarrel not his own.” Proverbs 26:17. (NIV) My translation—mind your own business and you will be happier.

Think of the times you decided to ignore a problem instead of trying to fix it. Maybe you decided to ignore a co-worker’s annoying habit of talking too loud on the phone. When you made the choice to ignore your co-worker’s behavior, you helped your department unite as a team and finish a project before deadline.

Ignoring the annoying habits of co-workers, family members, and neighbors can lead to building relationships and fostering community among people. Sometimes “waking the sleeping dog” can escalate conflict, and create enemies. How often have we heard of feuds which continued for so long, that both sides forgot how the conflict began?

Whether to let a sleeping dog lie is a matter of inner debate, especially regarding personal relationships. Each of us needs to consider if sharing our opinion can resolve the issue, or create more conflict. Will it help or hurt? Picture yourself six months from now, what regrets might you have if you do not try to solve the problem? Ask yourself if the person who is annoying you really able to change? And must he or she change for your sake?

There’s value in choosing our battles. The Serenity Prayer speaks to this struggle. Here is the full version, written in the 1930’s by Reinhold Neibuhr. 

“God grant me the serenity
To accept the things I cannot change;
Courage to change the things I can;
And wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, this sinful world

As it is, not as I would have it;
Trusting that He will make all things right
If I surrender to His Will;
So that I may be reasonably happy in this life

And supremely happy with Him
Forever and ever in the next.
Amen.”

Sleep well tonight, my friends.