“I’m kinda busy.”
“I can’t right now.”
“I’m sorry, but…”
I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve heard—or said—some version of these words. Life has a way of getting in the way of life, doesn’t it?
And before the standard defenses are offered, let me be clear: I truly understand that the needs, ideas, or requests of one person won’t always align with others’ schedules or priorities. That’s not what this is about.
I’m speaking about those of us who are supposed to be on the same team—or at the very least, wearing the same jersey. People who, in theory, have signed up for the same purpose, mission and calling.
Picture this: a play has been called. The quarterback takes the snap and throws the ball to a specific spot on the field, trusting that the receiver will be there. Timing, rhythm and trust are everything. But what if, mid-play, the receiver turns and says, “Well… I’m kinda busy doing something else right now”?
That’s not just a breakdown in execution. It’s a breakdown in alignment.
There’s a moment in Matthew 8 where Jesus interacts with a couple of would-be followers. One enthusiastically proclaims, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” Another asks for time—just a little time—to tend to a family obligation.
Here’s Jesus’ response:
“Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”
“Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”
(Matthew 8:20, 22)
That’s not cruelty. That’s clarity.
Jesus wasn’t diminishing the importance of family or the reality of human responsibilities. He was confronting the delay. He was calling out the tendency we all have to say, “Not right now.”
Not because something else is evil. But because something else is more comfortable.
In today’s world, we don’t bury our fathers as a first priority—we scroll, we post, we multitask. We spend hours on screens and tell ourselves we’re too busy for real conversations, real commitments, real discipleship.
I use an iPhone, and like many others, I’ve seen the weekly screen time report pop up. It’s a sobering reality check—five, six, even eight hours a day spent on a device. Some of it necessary. Some of it mindless.
There’s nothing inherently wrong with being connected or informed. But there is something deeply wrong when we no longer recognize what we’re distracted from.
Jesus calls. A need arises. A moment of purpose knocks. And we say, “Maybe later.”
So what does this mean—for me? For you?
It means I must regularly take inventory:
- What am I doing?
- Why am I doing it?
- Where am I supposed to be, and who am I supposed to be with?
Focused time and attention can be exactly where God has called me to serve. But it can also be the very thing keeping me from obedience—if I’ve drifted into distraction, self-comfort, or misaligned priorities.
The challenge is not busyness. It’s alignment.
The challenge is not the phone. It’s what the phone might be replacing.
The challenge is not responsibility. It’s delay disguised as duty.
God, thank You for ears to hear and a heart that longs for You.
Give me the wisdom to listen and the courage to act.
Teach me to recognize Your voice—not just in the quiet, but in the chaos.
And help me be where You’ve called me to be, when You’ve called me to be there.
Not later.
Now.
Categories: Acts17seventeen Christian Christianity Community Follower Of Jesus God's time obedience
Pastor Mark
Mark, the eighth of nine children born to Reuben and Henrietta Meeks—dedicated church planters with nearly 30 congregations established across California’s Central Valley—is a preacher's kid who grew up immersed in faith and service. With over forty years of experience teaching, discipling, and ministering to communities, including the hospitalized and incarcerated, Mark responded to God's call to pastoral ministry. He holds degrees in civil engineering and public administration, as well as a Master’s in Theology from Fuller Seminary, equipping him to serve with both practical insight and spiritual depth.
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