The Move from Busy to Awe to Wonder
Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus, throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. — Ephesians 3:20-21
Busy
I know your life is full. So I want to say “thank you” for taking the time to read this devotional. If you’re like most people, your plate is piled high and overflowing. You might even humbly brag about the fact that you are “crazy busy.” For some, being busy is a badge of honor.
When you consider the consequences of living a hectic and hurried life, what Scripture comes to mind? Probably not 1 Kings 20:40. These servants were tasked with guarding a prisoner, but they were so busy doing something else that when they looked up, he had slipped away. In Kevin DeYoung’s book titled Crazy Busy, he notes that living this kind of life can put our souls at risk. And let’s face it: when we live life in the fast lane with too much on our plates, tasks and duties that others depend on us to complete often fall through the cracks.
Being busy can ruin our joy.We need to fight for margin in all areas of our lives: financial, health, the annual calendar, weekly schedules, work, and family. We should accept our literal limitations. God may not sleep or slumber, but we need rest and margin in our daily activities. No matter how hard we try, we are not God. So lean into it. Accept this fact and enjoy all you have to do, even if it feels like too much at times.
Being busy can rob our hearts.
When you think of the parable of the sower in Mark 4, remember that thorns can choke the seeds that sprout. Don’t let the cares of the world, the deceit of riches, or the busyness of life rob your heart. Harvard Medical School reports that singing worship songs and daily prayer help connect the rational frontal lobe of our brain to the section responsible for emotional responses. All of this helps make our hearts whole. Staying constantly busy has the potential to diminish the link between our ability to think well and feel emotions.
Being busy can hide rot in our souls.
The tyranny of the urgent keeps us from working on the important issues of life. As a result, problems can be ignored and grow and fester because we never take the time to look in the closet and deal with the concerns deep within our souls. Matthew 11:28-30 has a message of hope and rest for our weary, tired, and busy souls. Come to Jesus. His yoke is easy, and His burden is light.
Awe
Let’s take a step from busy and talk about moving to a place of awe. God created an awe-inspiring world. In other words, creation is awesome! He created us with an awe capacity. No other living being in creation has this ability. To be in awe of something is when we realize how much bigger that thing is than ourselves. Our lifelong pursuit is to find something worthy for us to declare awesome. And where we look for awe will affect the direction of our lives. So be careful because misplaced awe will leave one perpetually dissatisfied. Don’t be like those the Apostle Paul warned us about in Romans 1:25. These people exchanged the truth for a lie and worshipped (i.e., placed their awe in) the creature rather than the Creator. You see, awe stimulates our greatest joys and our deepest sorrows — our highest highs and our lowest lows. Every awe moment we experience in creation is meant to point us to its creator: God Almighty, the maker of heaven and earth.
Wonder
Now let’s attempt to take another step away from being busy, maintaining an awe in God the Creator of all things, and cultivating a wonder and imagination of what God is able to do. Maybe you believe God is able, but He just won’t do something great for you. Remember this: God doesn’t give out of His abundance. He is our abundance.
Let’s back up a few verses to Ephesians 3:14-19. “ For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”
As hard as you try, it is more than your mind can know, comprehend, or even imagine. But I say go ahead and try. Seek. Knock. Ask. God created you to do good works that He prepared in advance for you to accomplish (Ephesians 2:10). Your good works are not perfect, but God wants you to join Him in building His Kingdom. And we can only imagine what He will do.
We might not be able to comprehend what God can do with our minds. But we have a fighting chance if we imagine with our hearts. As you think, meditate, and pray along these lines, will you pray small, doable prayers? Will you be timid and meek in your requests? Are your prayers safe and mild, or will they be bold and wild? Ask the God who spoke the universe into existence — that big, glorious, and awesome God — to do His great and perfect will and use you to complete the task and bring Him glory. I’m not talking about a health, wealth, and prosperity gospel. I’m talking about being about our Father’s business, viewing Him with the awe He deserves rather than underestimating him, and trying our best to wonder and imagine all that we can do through Christ, who gives us strength (Phil. 4:13).
Prayer
Dear Father in Heaven,
My life is going too fast. I need to slow down. I need to stop, pause, and look to You. Then I will be reminded how amazing, wonderful, loving, and awesome You are. And the more I look to You, the more I wonder what you are doing and how I can join you in building Your Kingdom in order to give You all the glory that You deserve. You are all I need. I pray that my heart will change so that You are all I want.
In Jesus Name.
Amen.