Deeper Bible Studies Blog

Busyness is the Enemy

dbsbrad — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 23:05:11 +0000

Imagine living a life where you are always in a hurry, stressed out, and never able to relax. Imagine going on a vacation and not knowing how to be still and do nothing. Visualizing this might not be too difficult for you. In fact, it may be hitting so close to home that you secretly wonder if I’ve been spying on you and talking to your friends. If you can relate to this, then you may be suffering from addiction to “busyness”.

As with any addiction, there are usually some short-term benefits. The benefits of busyness as I see them are

The illusion of getting ahead
The sense of being important or known as “highly productive”
The feeling of being in control of your future

All of these “benefits” are counterfeits. You are trading real joy for counterfeit joy. Here is how to tell the difference. Ask yourself: “When was the last time I felt joy?” And, “Was this joy directly connected to my busyness?” The answers are typically “a long time ago” and “No!”

If you actually got “ahead”, would you pause and rest a little…or just keep pressing forward to get even more “ahead”? Most of the people I know that are running around busy all the time, trying to be in control, actually appear the most out of control. Instead of having a balanced life, one thing usually dominates their life and everything else suffers.
It’s time to start living a new, joyful life. But first, let’s talk about what busyness really costs you.

Busyness robs you of a deep connection and relationship with God. If you are too busy for your spouse, your kids, your extended family and friends, where will God end up on your priority list? How can you be sensitive to God’s voice if you are always on the go?
Busyness robs you of quality time with friends and family. Busyness usually revolves around jobs, projects, tasks, or activities…not around the important people in your life. (Read Luke 10:38-42)
Busyness robs you of time for reading the Bible and quiet times of contemplation and prayer. Even if you do make time for such things, you likely feel rushed to get through them…which diminishes the value and purpose behind them.

So, to achieve a close relationship with God, your family, and important friends, start living a new life. Here are three timeless principles for eliminating busyness in your life:

Establish your priorities
Learn to say NO!
Lower the bar

To establish priorities, focus on what’s really most important to you. Think results. If your family is your most important priority, then make them the priority. When your child asks for help or maybe just your attention…give it to them. If God is your highest priority, then give Him the BEST part of your day. Read His word and talk with Him when you are most alert or most able to focus. Don’t put that time off until the end of the day when you are worn out from all of life’s lower priorities.

Learn to say No! Ah…now that’s a tough one isn’t it? Most people have a natural desire to be liked. So, we tend to say yes to other people, even when we want to say no. This is going to sound odd, but saying No is not about saying No. It’s about saying YES to your priorities and values, and saying No to things that are not. So, when someone asks you do to something in line with your priorities and values, and it won’t stretch you too thin, then certainly say yes. But when you are already overcommitted or presented with an opportunity which would sacrifice your higher priorities, then you must get into a habit of saying No. For those of you that are “No! Challenged” try saying “let me think about that and get back to you”. Then later, when you have more courage, tell them No!

Finally, lower the bar. Perfectionism plays a large part in our addiction to busyness. If we weren’t working so hard to make everything “just right”, we would have more time to relax. I learned this when I started to delegate tasks at work. I might have done things much better, but the other person did just fine. And no one noticed any lowering of quality. Much of the quality I was striving for was noticed only by a select few. So, do yourself a favor and lower the standard to a “mere human” level. If this might be a challenge for you, find a friend in your life that doesn’t seem to be struggling with busyness, and ask them to help you.

Again, it goes back to what’s important. At a birthday party, is it important that the kids have fun running around going crazy and get to eat something yummy? Or is it important that the tablecloth, napkins, cups, and balloons match perfectly and everything is timed just right? Is it important that everyone receives a birthday invitation that is custom made, with a hand crafted poem, the perfect picture of your little angle, personally signed using calligraphy? Or is it important to simply inform people of the date, time, and place? Use email, use facebook, pick up the phone, etc. Just lower the bar.

Remember, what’s at stake here is your joy, and a deeper connection with God, and the important people in your life. Establish your priorities, learn to say No!, and lower the bar. Give this a try for 30 days and let me know what a difference it makes in your life. It’s guaranteed!

Coincidence? or God? – There are NO Coincidences

dbsbrad — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 03:14:21 +0000

Have you ever heard someone say, “There are NO coincidences or there are no accidents“? You might hear this in reference to someone you sat next to at a bible study who later becomes an instrumental part of your life. Or it might be the person who “happened” to check you out at the grocery store, that you felt moved to say a kind word to and later find that it kept her from taking her own life like she had planned. It might take the form of something like “The person you married was no coincidence” or “that person who happened to be driving by…and stopped when you crashed your car…and ended up saving your life”…was no coincidence.

We all here these comments from time to time. The question is “Do you believe it?“ Are people just wishful thinkers, or is God really so intimately involved in our daily lives that he orchestrate events on our behalf?

In John Ortberg’s book “The Life You Always Wanted”, he posed a similar question that resonated with me: Why are people ok about praying TO God for everything…but seem skeptical and call people crazy when they suggest that He talked back?…as if God only hears and never speaks! Or in our case…why are they surprised when He responds through another person or event in our life?

I’m hear to tell you that God does speak to us, and I firmly believe that there are no coincidences. We don’t always recognize them at the time, but hindsight has a way of revealing them to us. I believe God CAN speak to us audibly (although it’s arguably more rare…and apparently not His preferred communication style). More often than not He speaks to us through other people, animals, events (coincidences), His Bible, a sunrise, the look on the face of a small child, an innocent and unknowing question that strikes deep into our heart to address an issue we were struggling with, etc…

I have many stories of how God orchestrates “coincidences” to share over the coming months. However, I also want to hear your stories. If you have a story to share, please email it to brad AT deeperbiblestudies DOT com.

Man Made or God Made?

dbsbrad — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 03:00:33 +0000

As a former Atheist, I can appreciate the attempt to logically explain everything. However, where Christians excel is in our ability to look at something very simple and come to the logical conclusion… “That’s GOD!”

Many people come to such an epiphany when camping out in nature… and experiencing God’s creation outside of the man-made cities we all live in. They look at the moon, and stars and heavens and just stare in awe of God’s majesty.

So, here is a simple argument for the existence of God…that even an Atheist would have difficulty explaining with a non-God answer:

1) Look around you for a moment. Can you identify anything that is man-made…something that obviously God didn’t make? Take that house for example. Did God build it? No…an architect and a construction crew did right? How about that car? The good folks at Ford or Chevy built it right? Ok…here’s a tough one…how about those sneakers you are wearing? Did God make them, or did Nike make them? OK…it’s pretty easy to identify things that are man made right? We just KNOW by looking at them, and from our experiences during our lives we just KNOW that man made them.

2) Now, look down at the ground. Did man make the dirt? No. Now look at the sky. Did man make the sun, the moon, and the stars? No. Why do we just KNOW that man didn’t make them? Why do we not need a scientific method to prove that man did NOT make those things? Maybe it’s the good old common sense and experience that helped us know that our car was made by man. It’s just plain as day…man did NOT make the heavens and the earth.

Now, if we didn’t know for a fact that man made the house, the car, and the sneakers…we would probably start looking for a creator and eventually find someone who could be caught in the act of creating them. But we don’t need to….we just know.

Well, the same is true for the heavens and the earth. Man is simply not big enough, powerful enough, or resourceful enough to create ANY of it. But if man didn’t create them…then who/what did? Where did it all come from?

Now, some might say that the Big Bang created it all. Let’s assume the Big Bang theory is true. Did man create the Big Bang? I know that’s a tough one…but again, NO. So who/what did? What caused the Big Bang? Just keep going back far enough in time, and guess what? Man still didn’t have a finger in creating it. It’s 100% God. God did it…all of it. And then God created us humans and absurdly some of us say… “there is no God.” How laughable.

Interested in Godly Leadership?

dbsbrad — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 22:28:59 +0000

We’ve written several articles on Godly leadership because we feel our churches really need spiritually mature leaders.

We invite you to visit and subscribe to the “Transformational Leadership Blog/E-Newsletter”. It’s completely focused on leadership tips, leadership resources, and leadership advice. Check it out at http://www.ileadu.com/leadership-blog. Don’t forget to subscribe when you get there.

Servant Leadership – Modeled by Jesus Christ

dbsbrad — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 02:57:34 +0000

Philippians 2:7 (NIV)
^“…but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness”

This verse frames servant leadership perfectly. It’s a model we can follow at work, at home, and in ministry.

A true leader is not the one calling the shots, making the demands, and extracting sacrifices from others…all so the LEADER can benefit.

A true leader is the servant who thinks of others first, encourages, motivates, inspires, and helps people achieve great results…for THEIR benefit.

Jesus Christ was GOD in the flesh. Who else would be justified in coming to earth and expecting to be served? But what did Jesus do? He came to serve…not to be served. He humbled himself and became like a slave.

So, whether you a leading a business, a ministry, or your family unit… Lead like Jesus Christ. Give up, sacrifice, and serve humbly…so that others may rise up, grow, and benefit.

Joseph’s Journey – Leadership Lessons

dbsbrad — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 23:10:34 +0000

I recently read the story again about Joseph (Genesis 37-47), and how he grew from an immature teen into the leader that was handed the keys of authority in Egypt and who saved the entire Israelite population from starvation during a seven year famine. You are surely familiar with Joseph (the coat of many colors, dream interpreter, thrown into a well by his brothers, sold into slavery, etc…)

What can we learn about Godly leadership through the life story of Joseph?

Leaders are developed…not born. As a teen, he created division in his family with his over confidence and untactful attitude. He didn’t have natural abilities.
Developing as a leader takes time. His journey started at the age of 17. He was 30 before he was given a true leadership position. It was another 14 years before he had truly arrived as a leader.
Even during difficult trials, he never cursed God. He remained faithful and allowed God to use him. His character and integrity were never sacrificed.
He didn’t take revenge when his position would have allowed him to do so. Instead he forgave his brothers, and gave Glory to God for His hand in his life. He used his leadership position to serve, not to be served.

There are many more lessons to be learned from this story, but here are a few thoughts to make this personal.

God’s timing is long term…not short term. Are you asking God to do something in your life NOW!? What if God has a bigger long term plan for your life. It’s better to be in GOD’s will, than attempt to get God in line with YOUR will.

Do you sometimes feel like you just aren’t as effective or influencial as you want to be? Do you sometimes feel like your gifts and abilities are just not being used to their fullest? Remember that leadership takes time and is developed daily. Look at your daily habits and start taking intentional daily steps at growing in a particular area. Be open to new opportunities (big or small), and seek out opportunities to serve.

Who knows, over time, God might just use you for GREAT things you never saw coming.

Seek First His Kingdom (Matthew 6:33)

dbsbrad — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 03:16:59 +0000

Why is it so hard to put God first? Is it just pure selfishness? Is it forgetfulness? Does it just boil down to the fact of our sinful nature? Honestly, I believe it’s all of the above.

When I have a decision to make, such as something I want to buy, or maybe changing careers, or maybe choosing between working and spending time with family…it always seems to be difficult. Selfishly, I find that I want to buy something…well just because “I” want it. Or I’m thinking about what career would be best for “ME”. Or I know that my family is very forgiving and maybe they won’t mind me putting in another 5 hours of work this weekend.

Forgetfully, I sometimes just don’t think to ask God what He thinks. And sometimes, I don’t ask because I already know the answer and I don’t want to admit it; the 50 inch plasma flat screen just says “buy me…you deserve it”…or something like that.

God says in His word that if we put Him first: His will, His desires, His purposes for our life… He will bless us abundantly. Read Matthew 6:25-33, with special emphasis on verse 33. The passage is specifically about worrying about tomorrow and the food you will eat and the clothes you will wear… but the principle is the same. Instead of thinking about ourselves and what WE want and what WE need… leave that up to God to provide.

The more I remember verse 33: “Seek first His kingdom, and all these things will be given to you as well”, the more peace comes over me. Instead of worrying and trying to focus on myself, I just need to stay focused on God and what He wants for my life. God will take care of the rest.

Make this a focus in the coming week and see if it provides you with a greater level of peace…and let me know how it goes.

God is Preparing You for Greatness

dbsbrad — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 21:03:57 +0000

“Joseph labored in obscurity for a season of his life…” before he finally arrived at his God given purpose of saving the Egyption and Israelite peoples from 7 years of famine (Read Genesis 37-41 for the full story). I read the first part of that quote recently in John Maxwell’s book “The 21 Most Powerful Minutes in a Leaders Day”. My first thought was how many of us struggle through life feeling the same way…like we are toiling in obscruity, not sure of our God given purpose. Often, we’re not sure if we are making a difference.

Have you ever felt that way? I know I have. We can learn several lessons from the story of Joseph. 1) God expects us to live faithfully and obey His commands… even if we don’t know where and how He’s using us. 2) God’s timing is MUCH different than ours… God works in decades and lifetimes… not days and weeks like we want. 3) Our toiling in obscurity is preparation for the day when God will use us to accomplish His purpose for our lives.

When we live in God’s will, and God’s timing, using our God given talents… our eventual greatness will bring glory to the One who deserves it… God.

Love them Anyway!

dbsbrad — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 13:05:44 +0000

Sometimes, I don’t feel like being loving. People aren’t being nice to me, I’m feeling unappreciated, and no one seems to notice me in a positive way. Ever feel like that?

I felt that way last night with my family. Then I was reminded by God that It’s in these times that we are called to Love anyway.

We can change the face of Christianity by loving others…ESPECIALLY when we aren’t feeling loved ourselves. Give it a try, and let me know about your experience.

My Faith Journey: From Atheist to Christian

dbsbrad — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 01:46:30 +0000

I was recently interviewed on a nationally syndicated morning radio show about my faith story (FamilyNet/Sirius 161, Mornings with Lorri and Larry).

I was an atheist for 13 years, and through a miracle, started believing in God and eventually put my faith in Jesus Christ. Hear about my transformation and also learn a few tips on influencing Atheists.

Click here to hear the radio interview (26 Minutes). Also, let me know if you have any comments.