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The Epidemic of Busyness Among Christian Leaders
There's a cure that's freely available.
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ep•i•dem•ic (ĕp-ĭ-dĕm´-ĭk) n. An outbreak of a contagious disease that spreads rapidly and widely. It's no overstatement to say that legions of Christians are infected by "an outbreak of a contagious disease," a disease that seems to be spreading "rapidly and wildly" throughout the culture. It is especially prevalent among U.S. Christians in leadership positions, but also appears to be widespread among a similar demographic overseas. Moreover, women are more susceptible than are men, though a strikingly high percentage of both genders have been affected. A contemporary term for the disease is "busyness" and the particular strand I want to consider here entails a lifestyle that's so congested that the infected individual can neither enjoy nor nurture a healthy relationship with God. The evidence comes from the latest in a long line of studies on over-extended lifestyles, but there's also some good news to report: There's a cure that's freely available to each one of us. Given the target audience for this article, I'll get right to the point. A Congested Life is an Obstacle to Leading God's WayLet me start with a three paragraph theology of the problem. If we take scripture at face value, Christians in positions of authority are to lead in a way that honors God. This isn't a very controversial statement since we are to do everything in life this way, but if you want a poignant reminder, check out Jesus' words on leadership in Matthew 20:26-28. To do God's will as leaders—and to do it with excellence and consistency—requires that we not go at it alone. We must rely on God to do what is unattainable in our own strength. Again, the Bible is unequivocal. Classic passages like Proverbs 3:5 ("Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and lean not on our own understanding") and Matthew 6:33 ("Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you") resonate throughout the ages and remain as time-honored answers to the question "how we should live?" They are bedrock, not proof-texts, since they capture so completely the core tenets of surrender, dependence, and divine empowerment. It follows, then, that obstacles to our relationship with God are also obstacles to leading God's way. Such is the case with the epidemic of busyness. A lifestyle that crowds out God culminates in the self-sufficient practice of leadership. And this is not just an exegetical warning. It has become an undeniable reality of the Christian landscape. Let's consider the evidence. The Evidence That Christian Leaders Are Over-ExtendedTo examine the extent of the busyness problem, I collected data from Christians around the world through my Web site, Assess-Yourself.org. At that site, people complete surveys to examine their spiritual condition and they do so anonymously (thereby facilitating their candor and permitting the collection of more valid data). For this study, I considered data from the first 752 Christians leaders who completed my "Obstacles to Growth Survey."1 |             |
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