Doing Busy Better
August is always a busy month for me, and this book is helping me do busy better.
Glynnis Whitwer’s Doing Busy Better is helping me see that my drive to stay busy doesn’t fit with God’s best for me.
Yes, he has given me a productive, task-oriented nature. I am known for being hardworking and self-motivated. But God doesn’t want me to find fulfillment or identity in what I do. He wants me to find my purpose in him alone.
Glynnis tells stories of how her busy nature got her in trouble, again and again. Even when she had her hands full as a mother of three, she kept taking on more responsibility to feel fulfilled.
I have done that too, many times. I think I’m still taking on more than I need to, because I still want to prove my worth to myself and to others.
The Importance of Sabbath Rest
What I enjoyed about this book most were Glynnis’ real, imperfect stories, her helpful explanations of scripture, and her suggestions for finding rest in the Sabbath.
She does not villianize work; she shows us how work is a gift from God, yet we corrupt it with our extremes of laziness or workaholism.
Glynnis shows us that Sabbath rest is another gift which actually increases our productivity by making us more dependent on God.
Favorite Quotes from Doing Busy Better
A few quotes that are still speaking to me:
- The promise of an unhurried, productive life calls my name.
- When we feel that our safety, security, and significance depend on us, we will not know when to stop working.
- Changing our allegiance to God means dealing with old habits that chain us to our previous master.
I learned from Glynnis’ explanation of how the Israelites struggled with a slave mindset decades after God set them free. After reading this book, I’m thinking through my leftover slave mindset (work = worth). I’m slowly tearing down the untruths with God’s help.
I have purposely stopped doing work on Sundays, and I have seen my productivity go up when I simply rest for one day.
If you are looking for a thoughtful, wise discussion on how to reprioritize your schedule, Doing Busy Better is meant for you.
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