The Busy Christian's Guide to Busyness by Tim Chester
Week 7: Chapter 6 — Busyness and the Desire to Escape
Read Chapter 6 of The Busy Christian's Guide to Busyness. Key passages to consider: Jonah 1:1-3; Psalm 139:7-12.
Previewing Week 7 of The Busy Christian's Guide to Busyness
Read 3 of 7 discussion questions below. Unlock the complete 11-week guide when you’re ready.
Chester introduces one of his most surprising arguments: that some people are busy not because they love what they're doing, but because activity is the most socially acceptable way to avoid things — people, feelings, God. Read this one slowly.
Discussion Questions
7 questions1.Chester suggests that busyness can function as a form of escape — keeping us too occupied to face difficult relationships, painful emotions, or God himself. Does that ring true for you? What have you used busyness to avoid?
2.He draws on the story of Jonah, who quite literally fled from God's presence. In what ways might a busy Christian life be a sophisticated version of Jonah's flight — not running to sea, but running to meetings, projects, and obligations?
3.Chester notes that busyness is a socially acceptable avoidance strategy — unlike other forms of escape (drinking, numbing out on screens), being busy is praised. Why is this particularly dangerous? How does cultural affirmation make it harder to recognise and resist?
a.Is there a relationship in your life that your busyness has allowed you to keep at arm's length?
b.Is there a conversation with God — a prayer you haven't prayed, a question you haven't asked — that you have been too busy to have?