May Madness

Jesus said, “I am the vine, you are the branches.  If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing”. – John 15:5

When asked to name the busiest month of the year, many people think first of December and its Christmas-party-packed, relative-visiting, year-ending madness.

Lately, though, I’ve come to believe that the month of May is actually much worse.  With school and spring sports wrapping up, teachers assign final projects, teams compete for championships (while holding tryouts for next season), and every activity has a banquet or graduation party that seems to overlap.  With the change of season comes spring cleaning (and recurring storms mean a constant trail of mud), and planning summer vacations means rearranging schedules, purchasing plane tickets, and booking babysitters.  I don’t know about you, but I find myself falling into bed exhausted most nights in May.

I also find that being overbooked day after day sends my stress level through the roof.

I was reminded recently that Jesus modeled a lifestyle that flies in the face of our present day “normal.”  Jesus got up early and spent long lengths of time in God’s presence, praying and listening to the Lord.  He dwelled with His disciples and taught them God’s truths.  He also walked peacefully through even the most difficult of territories. 

Don’t we tend to do just the opposite?  We hit the ground running in the morning, forget to pray, text our friends that we’ll be late, speed through yellow lights, and sprint from one appointment to the next.  We don’t have time for God or loved ones because we’re too busy managing our stuff and stuffing our calendars with activities.  But at the end of the day, aren’t we left feeling isolated and longing for something more meaningful than just a busy life?

Last week, a friend and I went hiking on a new trail.  During our entire ten year friendship, we have never spent more than an hour walking and talking alone in the wilderness together.  After we parted ways, I still felt close to her.  I realized we hadn’t been checking our phones, accomplishing tasks, or making a “To Do” list.  We’d just been enjoying each other’s presence and enriching our friendship. 

Jesus wants us to do the same with Him, to walk with Him, talk with Him, and stay close in our friendship.  In John 15, Jesus tells us that when we remain close to Him, we will bear much fruit.  The fruit Jesus is talking about is what makes our lives wonderful: love, peace, patience, joy, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control. 

Jesus knew busyness would be an obstacle to us bearing much fruit. 

• Instead of loving and being patient with our kids, we scream “Hurry up, get in the car!  We’re late!” 
• Instead of walking in peace and kindness, we honk at the person in front of us and criticize the grocery because their check-out lines are way too slow. 
• Instead of gentleness and self-control, we overstuff our agendas and down more caffeine to keep going. 

Instead of allowing the busyness of May to drive you mad, what it you made some decisions that aligned with Jesus’ slower pace of life?  What if you decided to rest with God, dwell with others, and walk in peace? What if you gave yourself permission to enjoy this month, the second half at least?

Here are three Real Life Application Questions to ask yourself…

• How can I rest more so I can live my “best life”, a life that bears much fruit?
• How can I spend the first moments of my day praying and listening to God?
• How can I change my calendar to prioritize bearing fruit instead of being busy?

Let’s do it!  Postpone the planting, leave the house a mess, decline an invitation, come home early, go to lunch with a friend, listen well, put your phone away, be present, thank God for His love, bear much fruit.  Instead of going absolutely mad in May, let’s enjoy it… on purpose!

The Power of Giving God Thanks Will Ignite Your Faith and Change Your World!

Thank You for Being a Part of the 3 O’Clock Wake Up Movement