Previous | Next 

Too busy for God?

Elaine Matzek

Are you too busy for God? What thoughts, activities, hobbies and plans occupy your time in a 24-hour period? Is the central focus of your life work, computers, the Internet, TV, sports, cars, kid’s activities, church activities, music, education, shopping, cooking, crafting, sewing, interior decorating, reading, partying with friends (add your own activity if I have neglected to mention it)? These activities are not wrong – unless one of them is taking the number one place in your life, ahead of a love relationship with God.

God was among the top 10 priorities in my life, but He wasn’t number one. My hobby of making crafts had become the most important thing for me. I lived for crafts. If I was not making them, I was shopping in craft stores, dreaming up new craft ideas or calculating how much money I was making.

About four years ago, I hosted my first Christmas craft show, in my home. The planning, decorating, advertising and making of the crafts had taken up so much of my time that little was left over for God, my husband and my kids. I knew deep down that I was wrong. I knew that something had to change, but I wasn’t fully committed to giving my crafting ability to the Lord. The Lord had given me this ability and yet I wasn’t willing to give Him the credit for it.

During that time, a friend started to pray that I would quit striving. The next fall, I hosted a second craft show in my home, but on a much smaller scale.

In the spring of the following year, the Lord spoke to me through the message in church one morning. I knew that the message was for me. A call was given to come forward. I was nervous, but I knew that I had to respond. I asked God to take full control of my life. He then told me that I was to give Him control of my crafts. I was not yet ready to give that up.

That spring, our Bible study group started studying a book called Experiencing God. I resisted the idea of doing the book because it meant homework and my life was already too busy. I did the lessons only some of the time, and half-heartedly even then. The study was about how having a love relationship with God should be the most important thing. The Lord revealed the purpose for my life in Deuteronomy 6:5-7: “Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.” What God wanted from me was a total yielding to Him in a love relationship. I had a burning desire to put Him first and develop a love relationship with Him. But back came the nagging thought, “I want your crafting abilities given to Me.” I felt that once I gave Him that area, I would not be able to do crafts. Finally, I obeyed and decided to let God be first.

That summer, I spent time with my family and decided to leave off making crafts until my children were back at school. God confirmed in little ways that I was on the right path. My son, who would start kindergarten that fall, noticed that my priorities were different. I started spending time with God. Yet all my crafts got made. Now I am reaping the benefits from putting God first in my life, even though I still struggle at times and will continue to do so until my life on earth is finished.

I used to get the January post-Christmas blues. When I started to walk with God in a love relationship, I had new meaning and purpose. That year, for the first time I did not experience that same depression. Why? Because my relationship with God was all the fulfillment that I needed. Amazing! Why didn’t I discover that sooner? Because I was too busy pursuing my idol of crafts.

Elaine Matzek attends North Langley Community Church in Langley, B.C.

Previous | Next 

Last modified January 30, 2001.

© 2001 Mennonite Brethren Herald.
Published by the Canadian Conference of MB Churches.
Masthead and usage information.