Busyness Next to Godliness?

I have been incredibly busy the past couple of weeks with things at work like training opps in the coming year, first run through of budget, our 360 conference in September and lots of speaking and training. It has been a very busy two weeks and the next four weeks are pretty crazy as well. I am working hard to remember that "busyness is not next to godliness".

So how is it that busyness takes over my life? Poor planning sounds like an indictment on me, but actually is probably the closest to the truth. I understand that there are seasons that can bring about more busy, but trying to anticipate the unexpected is something I have failed miserably at recently. I realize that I have not allowed for much margin in my life and in that, I have planned poorly.

I will say that I am not trying to complain that I am "busier" than anyone else, but I think for the most part, ALL of us are too busy.  I find myself running from one thing to the next, prepping for talks/budgets/work at the last minute. Some of it is controlled by others' schedule, and I am aware of that, but I am in control of the margins that I create or eradicate in my life.

I ran across this from Eugene Peterson as I was packing up my office (again) to move this next week to another part of the building (#8 or 9 in the 20 years I have been here). No, I am not bitter, just a little tired of packing/unpacking & remembering what floor to get off of the elevator. I digress. Here is what Peterson reminded me of in my busyness -
I am busy because I am vain. I consider myself to be too important to pass on some things.
I am busy because I am lazy. I let others decide what I will do instead of calling the shots on what is important.

I do not like polarizing statements like the one above because it causes me to come to grips with truth and reality. I like landing somewhere in the middle. Consider me Switzerland (some of you will get that reference).

I am committing to do these things -
Trust Him to find my true worth and value - Vanity sucks the life out of me.
Take charge of the margins I can control. - I am not letting others fill up my marginal time because I am too lazy to make the right decisions about my time.

With all that said, I climb on a plane tonight and return on Thurs. I did unpack a training trip for this weekend though. Not because I really wanted to but because I needed to.