Jude 1:20-21 — But you, dear friends, must build each other up in your most holy faith, pray in the power of the Holy Spirit, and await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will bring you eternal life. In this way, you will keep yourselves safe in God’s love.
I recently lost a friend and realized I had not spent nearly enough time with her. I was always so busy.
Busy answering emails. Busy meeting deadlines. Busy doing things that, at the time, felt urgent and important. I kept telling myself there would be more time. Next week. Next month. After things slow down.
But things didn’t slow down.
And now she’s gone.
That old phrase keeps echoing: “Never get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life.” I used to nod in agreement, but now it feels personal.
Because we do this, don’t we? We fill our calendars with productive things. We chase goals, pay bills, build brands, and answer texts. And somewhere along the way, relationships get squeezed into the leftovers.
Both time with people and time with Jesus.
When I read the Gospels, I don’t see Jesus guarding His schedule. I see Him on dusty roads with people. Letting interruptions become ministry. He didn’t just build a movement. He built relationships.
And for me, grief has a way of clearing the fog. It reminded me that my soul doesn’t thrive on productivity. It thrives on being present.
So, I’ve started asking different questions. Who needs my time this week? Where can I slow down? Where is there space for prayer, for encouragement, for sacrificial love?
Because if we don’t choose what matters most, the urgent will always win.
Maybe today is a good day to leave one square on the calendar unclaimed. To sit with someone a little longer or to pray without watching the clock. Because the people we love—and the God who loves us—are not interruptions to our work.
They are the work.
A MOMENT TO REFLECT
- Where in your life have “urgent” things crowded out what actually matters most?
- Who is one person you can intentionally invest time in this week?
- How can you create space in your schedule to both encourage others and spend time with God?
- What would it look like for you to “build someone up” in a practical way today?
- Is there an area where you’ve been assuming “there will be more time”? How is God inviting you to respond now?