​The Curse of Our Age

This is hardly the first time anyone has addressed this issue, but it’s so prevalent that I can’t shake it—I feel like I need to say something.
 
So, what is the curse of our age? There are many, actually. A glance at the twenty-eighth chapter of Deuteronomy will clue you into some things that can be considered curses: disease, sickness, a broken heart, weakness, lack, fear, and so on. But what I have in mind as the Curse of Our Age is also found in that same chapter. Words that relate are “confusion,” “frustration,” “panic,” “no peace,” and a lack of “rest.” The word I use is busyness.
 
We live in a time when technology is exploding at an exponential rate. My dad was born in a farmhouse without electricity or running water in the spring of 1925. He worked harder than I can fathom on the farm, including hand-milking cows and plowing with horses. In fact, my parents spent about a year living in a farmhouse without electricity when my oldest sister was a toddler. That’s not so long ago. It’s understandable that my dad marvels at the changes he’s seen.
 
My life is so much easier, and yet, for all the time-saving devices and inventions…I just don’t have time. There’s SO much to do!
 
How often do you say, “I’m sorry—I just don’t have time”? How many more times do you hear it from others? Has it always been like this? How did this happen?
 
Could it be that sayings like “Carpe Diem!” and “Live life to the fullest” are having the opposite effect? I remember hearing of a seminar once entitled, “Why settle for more and miss the best?” I prefer that slogan to the former ones.
 
Or maybe “seizing the day” could mean spending a day relaxing at home. Or maybe a full life doesn’t mean packing in so many activities that your full schedule is bursting at the seams…
 
There does appear to be some push-back to this busyness problem as revealed by the “minimalist” movement (which is probably what you think it is) and a general attitude among increasing numbers of people taking tangible steps to slow down and simplify their lives.
 
I make no bones about the fact that I’m still largely in a hurry, going for quantity over quality. Impatience, even when held at bay, often lurks just below the surface.
 
So…what’s the answer? Another slogan comes to mind: “Be still and know that I am God.”