Is it Possible to Stop Being Busy?

A new year has me newly reflecting on what was and what's to come.

Much of things will remain the same. I will go to work, make dinner daily, serve at church, have people over, drive to the rink, make school lunches, and clean my house. I will visit friends and clean up the garden. I will read books and write some. I will care for sick kids and put them to bed every night. Most of these are not choices but responsibilities. I have been given much to tend to. This in and of itself, makes for quite a busy schedule.

But I crave something different. I want slower mornings and free evenings. I want an early bedtime and a not-so-early wake-up call. I want an easy rhythm, not a crazy rush. However, I am a mom---and a Canadian. Rush is built into our society's structure. An overloaded schedule is not unique to me, but the reality of parenting today, juggling work, home, church, and children's activities, along with hobbies or "side-hustles".

Is there an off-ramp from Busy?

I think some people out there may say yes, but I think these people are not being honest with themselves. After all, we were made to work. We were created to keep busy. God has saved us for good works as his hands and feet (Ephesians 2:10). God calls us to till the earth (Genesis 2:15), to "fill the earth and subdue it" (Genesis 1:28), to meet together and encourage one another (Hebrews 10:25), to train our children (Proverbs 22:6), and to make disciples (Matthew 28:19), among others. All these tasks totaled up are simply time-consuming.

Notice how the work God has given us to do is presented as a blessing, not a curse. Work was given to us before The Fall. It's good for us to work. If I want to live in God's will for me, then being busy is not an option---it's my purpose.

Then why does it feel so wrong all the time?

Perhaps that's because we're doing it wrong.

God calls us to work, and Jesus modelled that work---and yet, he did it without hurry. He showed us the slow work of a relationship in the midst of many obligations and distractions. We read of crowds surrounding Jesus. He was sought after and needled at. Everyone who approached him wanted something from him. The social structure of his time did not include fast cars and rep sports, but he understood busyness. Jesus understood expectations. And he managed the busyness without being stressed and lashing out at the people he loved.

I get stressed when I see many events on the calendar. Each event requires me to be somewhere at a certain time, looking a certain way, and prepared for certain tasks. I'm expected to be there. I feel put upon by my own appointments. What of the events that cannot be planned for? The car breaking down, the dinner taking too long to cook, the unexpected sports tournament? It was not planned for. I could not pace it right. Therefore, all of it, from what I planned to do to what I could not plan but must do, has become a source of stress.

Stress is often our response to feeling out of control. I can plan, but I cannot bend every moment to my will. The moment is not mine to bend. It never was. None of us can take full control of our minutes.

But rest can still come even when our hands are busy when we put our trust in God.

God commanded rest (Exodus 20:8-11). Jesus modelled this, too. Jesus could be busy without bursting because he stayed connected to the Father. He often had to disappear from the crowds to find a quiet place to pray (Luke 5:15-16). He knew he was doing his Heavenly Father's will and allowed His Father to work out the minor details.

Yet again, I find myself coming to the same conclusion: Regardless of the dilemma, Jesus is the answer.

Through prayer and the daily reading of His word, my heart and mind are transformed. Christ is the only one who can heal my hurry-sickness. He can keep me from feeling harried and overcome. I'm not called to be efficient in all things, or even do "all the things" all of the time. There are ebbs and flows to our work.

I am not holding up the universe---I'm not even holding up myself!

Yes, I can stop being the kind of busy that brings burnout and anxiety, but life will not stop demanding things of me. Life is full, and that is good.

I can't stop being busy, but I must start getting real with my human limitations---my sins of self-reliance and pride. I can learn to let go of the calendar plotting and replace obligations with vision---to see the people behind the plans and the purposes in the appointments. In this, we learn how "to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom" (Psalm 90:12).

2026 will bring additions, distractions, and moments of stress, but with Christ, these will be only seasons and not define my daily rhythms.

It's possible to stop being busy, but you'd be wasting your life. Be a busy that is effective and joy-filled. Stay busy but attentive and available to the people in your life. Let yourself be late if it means modeling peace and patience to your family. Be busy without burnout by looking to Christ, resting in Him, and trusting his hand.

Busy is good when we do it right.