The Barrenness of a Busy Life

“Beware the barrenness of a busy life” – Socrates. This quote came through my email recently, courtesy of a CPA firm management consultant whose blog I’ve been following for a few years. The timing struck me as perhaps a bit ironic – or possibly God’s timing as I’m currently the busiest I have been for at least 3 years. I can well attest to the veracity of that principle. There’s a certain dryness, a dearth of vitality and creativity, that’s accompanied these months of intense activity. The image of the Dust Bowl comes to mind – barren, dusty fields without the benefit of rain to refresh the dry and thirsty ground. Nothing is growing in that parched land. That seems like a decent description of my brain right now; there’s not much coming out of it except financial statements and analyses. I’m thankful for the experience to recognize that this is a season that won’t last forever; at some point, it will ease up and there will be more time for thinking and reflection and processing. 

The barrenness of a busy life is something I’ve seen in the lives of others as well. It’s so easy – and tempting, honestly – to fill our lives with activities that really have no lasting value. These things take up our time, and perhaps make us feel accomplished, but the fruit they bear is far from juicy and succulent. It’s easy to let them crowd out the things that bring life – prayer, fellowship with the Lord’s people, time alone with the Lord in His Word.

I’m not going to presume to make any statements about what activities should be undertaken or which should be left behind; I’ll leave that to each individual’s discretion. I’ll simply caution that we can’t pour out of an empty pitcher, and we should all be mindful of whether the activities in which we’re engaged are filling our pitchers or draining them.