WHEN SPIRITUAL COMMITMENT BECOMES AN IMBALANCE: THE DANGER OF BEING TOO BUSY TO LIVE

I have observed a pattern and cannot help but notice a striking correlation between two seemingly different situations: the workaholic who struggles to rest and the Christian who struggles to balance spiritual commitments with everyday responsibilities.

Consider a workaholic who spends most of his waking hours working. He is constantly on the move, with little time to allow his body to recover. He may eat well and do everything necessary to maintain his physical strength, but overlooks one essential requirement: rest is also a source of restoration. The body does not regain all its strength through food alone; it needs adequate rest. Consistently ignoring this need eventually comes at a cost.

Now consider a Christian who moves from one spiritual gathering to another. If it is not a general prayer meeting, it is a unit or department prayer meeting, church service, fellowship, workers’ meeting, or another programme. Sometimes, even after several hours of meetings during the day, there is another engagement at night.

The calendar is full of activities, especially during the season as this that Fliers have developed wings and are flying  every where, today Prayer Mount with Prophet ABC, tomorrow is at Prayer Mount with Apostle DEF; but where is the room for rest? Where is the time for family and other responsibilities God has entrusted to us?

Jesus demonstrated the importance of balancing work and rest. Although His life was characterised by ministry, prayer, service, and compassion, He also withdrew from the crowds to rest; He withdrew from regular activities to rest and be restored.

In Mark 6:31, Jesus said to His disciples:

“Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while.”

The disciples had been so occupied with ministry that they did not even have time to eat. At this point, Jesus recognised their need for rest, and He found a way to initiate that for them.

This reminds us that rest is not necessarily a sign of spiritual weakness or lack of commitment; sometimes, it is an expression of wisdom.

THE PRESSURE TO ATTEND EVERY MEETING

Another dimension of this issue is the pressure some people feel to attend every available spiritual programme, even when the same event is repeated or recurring several times within 24 hours or throughout the week.

While repeating programmes is a thoughtful way to accommodate people with different schedules, it should not create an expectation that everyone must attend every session.

Different meeting schedules are provided to accommodate different people, not necessarily to require everyone to attend every session.

If a prayer meeting is scheduled for the morning, afternoon, and evening, the intention may simply be to give people the flexibility to choose what works best for them. If the same programme is repeated several times during the week, attending one suitable session should be sufficient.

There should be no guilt, pressure, or feeling of spiritual inadequacy because someone chooses one session and misses another.

We must learn to distinguish between availability and obligation. Just because an opportunity exists does not mean we are obligated to participate in every instance of it.

THE FAMILY MUST NOT PAY THE PRICE

Unfortunately, we sometimes measure spiritual commitment by the number of meetings attended or how frequently someone is available for ministry. But is that the only measure of spiritual maturity?

What happens to the family in the process?

Children may grow up experiencing the absence of parents who are constantly engaged in spiritual activities. Even when parents are physically at home, their minds may be occupied with the next programme, meeting, or ministry assignment.

Husbands and wives may gradually become disconnected. Conversations become less meaningful, family moments become less frequent, and children begin to compete with church activities for their parents’ attention, just because their parents are on the Prayer Mount A, B, and C, running from one to another.

The family is physically together, but the emotional connection is gradually weakening.

This is not an argument against spiritual gatherings (both virtual and Physical included). Fellowship, prayer, worship, and discipleship are important aspects of Christian life. However, we must not allow the pursuit of spiritual activities to make us neglect the responsibilities God has placed in our hands.

Our families are not distractions from our spiritual assignments; they are part of those assignments.

THE RESPONSIBILITY OF LEADERSHIP

Leadership also has an important role to play. Leaders should not only create opportunities for spiritual growth but also educate their followers on how to participate responsibly.

Where programmes are repeated to accommodate different schedules, this should be communicated clearly. Members should understand that these sessions are alternatives, not additional attendance requirements.

Leaders should also be mindful of the cumulative demands of multiple programmes, particularly those extending late into the night or those in the early morning.

It is important to avoid creating an environment where attendance at every available programme becomes an unofficial measure of spiritual commitment.

Leadership is not only about organising programmes; it is also about helping people develop the wisdom to manage their lives and time around those programmes.

A healthy spiritual environment should produce spiritually grounded individuals and healthy families, not exhausted people who feel pressured to meet every demand.

A NECESSARY REFLECTION

I am genuinely concerned about the consequences of this imbalance if we do not begin to examine it.

It is concerning seeing families break apart, hearing about young people passing away or seeing homes where parents are physically present but emotionally unavailable, and marriages where husbands and wives gradually become strangers to each other.

Some of these situations develop so gradually that people do not recognise the damage until it becomes difficult to repair. If the place where the crack began is unknown, how do we mend the broken part accurately?

We must ask ourselves:

•?  ?Are we raising spiritually active individuals and hardworking individuals while neglecting emotionally healthy families?

•?  ?Are we becoming so available for church activities that we are unavailable to our spouses and children?

•?  ?Are we teaching people to serve God without teaching them how to manage their time, energy, and responsibilities?

•?  ?Are our spiritual commitments strengthening our homes, or are some families quietly suffering under the weight of those commitments?

In the account of Martha and Mary (Luke 10:38–42), we see a lesson about priorities. It is possible to become occupied with activities, be a busy person who appears good and worthwhile while losing sight of what matters most.

Jesus did not teach us to abandon our responsibilities in the name of spirituality or hard work, providing material things for the family. We must understand that being busy with the things of God is not necessarily the same as being balanced in the ways of God.

Not every meeting requires our physical or Virtual presence, not every invitation must receive a yes, and not every programme must take priority over family responsibilities.

Our children need our attention, guidance, and presence. Our spouses need companionship, communication, and love. These responsibilities should not continually suffer because we have committed ourselves to every available activity.

One day, the programmes will end, the party will be no more, meetings will be over, and ministry responsibilities will pass to someone else. But the relationships we have neglected may not automatically recover.

I understand the harvest and the labourer metrics also. There is less of a labourer but plenty of harvest. Can we consider our family- spouse, those little ones, children, and grandchildren as part of the harvest the scripture taught us about?

We must not become so busy building God’s house that we neglect the home He has entrusted to us.

The goal should not simply be to do more for God, but to live in a way that reflects His wisdom and purpose in every area of our lives.

May we learn to serve without neglecting, pray without abandoning our responsibilities, work without destroying our health, and pursue spiritual growth without sacrificing the relationships we are called to nurture.

Our families must not be seen as fighting for space in our lives along with God. We just need to remember they also deserve our presence. Wisdom is knowing how to honour both.

-Tayo Paulson