Being Busy in the Working World

We are all busy. There is no escape from it. A week consists of 168 hours, and

participation in the Pittsburgh Fellows takes up a sizable portion of my schedule.

Everything from my full-time job, weekly commitments to the St Stephen’s Church student ministry, regular business and service roundtables, mentor meetings, and group gatherings like retreats and house dinners add up fast. The question I asked myself all year is: Is it a

good thing for a Christian to be busy? I argue that it is important for Christians to be

diligent but not being busier than necessary.

The workday begins at 8:30 and ends at 5:00, but the speed and pace of a day’s work

vary. However, the day does not end when work ends. What about the weekdays when I

have coffee meetings at 6:30am, or the evenings when there are roundtables

immediately following work?

When my schedule is full of meaningful work, it positively impacts my colleagues and

that glorifies God. But if I am not careful, a busy life can become a noisy life.

Distractions from technology, a constant stream of assignments, countless external

expectations, and unending concerns about the future all contribute to overwhelming

noise. So, is the solution to do less work? No, diligence is a virtue that God rewards

(Proverbs 10:4) and Scripture warns against sloth or idleness (2 Thessalonians 3:10).

Work existed before sin entered creation. So, is the solution to add more commitments

to my plate? Not exactly. It is impossible for me to be everywhere all at once. Jesus

Himself understood that He needed to spend time alone with the Father.

It is easy to let the stressors of work and life override my peace in Christ. However, the

burden of busyness does not originate in my schedule itself. I could dedicate a Saturday

for Sabbath yet still get bogged down with anxiety, awaiting the next item on my to-do

list.

John Mark Comer in his book, The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry, writes, “Hurry is not

just a disordered schedule. Hurry is a disordered heart.” Living in a perpetual state of

hurry is not the fruit of diligence, it is a symptom of chaos and living in a fallen, restless

world. The cure for a hurried heart is not to avoid our obligations nor to control every

situation, but instead, to surrender my time to God and enjoy His presence.

“This is the day that the Lord has made; rejoice and be glad in it.” - Psalm 118:24

“But those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they will soar with wings like

eagles; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.” – Isaiah 40:31

These verses remind me my strength is from the Holy Spirit, and I ought to accept today

and be glad because time is a precious gift. During Fellows orientation week, a speaker

gave two words of advice: “Don’t blink.” I blinked and now we have less than two

months of the Fellows year left. Being a Pittsburgh Fellow taught me to be intentional

with my time beyond standard time management habits. I am deeply impressed by the

way God influenced my cohort as we spent nine months seeking Him both at work and

in our personal lives. This commitment does not conclude in May; instead, it carries

forward throughout my entire life. If Jesus can feed five thousand people with five loaves and two fish, He can bless

others with my limited time when I surrender it to Him.

-Written by Gage Watson, Class of 2026

Gage graduated from Washington & Jefferson College and works at ConnectiveRx as a Pittsburgh Fellow.