Doing Busy Better: Enjoying God’s Gifts of Work and Rest
So many women are living overcommitted lives and buckling under the nagging guilt. When they are busy, they feel guilty for not playing with their kids or having a quiet time of prayer and Bible study. When they try to rest, they feel guilty because there’s so much left to do. It’s an endless cycle of overwork and exhaustion. Yet inside every woman’s heart is a longing for true rest. It’s there because God designed us that way–but it seems out of reach.
Enough is enough. Our lives probably aren’t going to get less busy, especially if we’re in a demanding season of life, but we can do busy better. In this burden-lifting book, Glynnis Whitwer helps women examine their hearts and their schedules in order to seek a healthy and holy balance between–and enjoyment of–both work and rest. She shows readers how to prioritize their goals and their time, how to be present in the moment as Jesus was, and how to find the freedom of true soul rest. Most importantly, she shows women that their worth is found not in their accomplishments but in the love of the One who made them for work and for rest.
Kathi and Glynnis pick up the conversation from where they left off last week discussing Doing Busy Better: Enjoying God’s Gifts of Work and Rest. They wrap the discussion on “bad busy” and pick up the conversation with what “good busy” looks and feels like in our lives. From her own experience, Glynnis realized she is always going to be busy. It’s her personality. She is her best with a lot going on. She was able to stand back and realize what kinds of busy fostered good or bad in her life.
Find out what the “good busy” is in your life and how to identify if you’ve crossed over into bad busy.
Free Bonus Chapter & Planning Pages, Plus Study Guide with Purchase
Visit Glynnis’ website to download special gifts for Kathi Lipp listeners. For access, please use password: kathilipp. You’ll be able to download the Free Bonus Chapter, Overcoming Burnout, and the gorgeous three-page planner.
Book Giveaway
Leave a comment on this podcast within 7 days telling us “What part of busy is God nudging you to give away?” A winner will be selected randomly from the comments to receive a copy of Doing Busy Better: Enjoying God’s Gifts of Work and Rest.
*Book Giveaway only available to US participants.
Meet Our Guest

Glynnis Whitwer
Glynnis Whitwer is on staff with Proverbs 31 Ministries as the Executive Director of Communications. She is the editor and one of the writers of Encouragement for Today, the Proverbs 31 email devotions, with over 750,000 daily readers.
Glynnis and her husband Tod have five young adult children live in Glendale, Arizona. Visit www.GlynnisWhitwer.com or www.Proverbs31.org to learn more.
Visit Glynnis’ website to download special gifts for Kathi Lipp listeners. For access, please use password: kathilipp. You’ll be able to download the Free Bonus Chapter, Overcoming Burnout, and the gorgeous three-page planner.
So many women are living overcommitted lives and buckling under the nagging guilt. When they are busy, they feel guilty for not playing with their kids or having a quiet time of prayer and Bible study. When they try to rest, they feel guilty because there’s so much left to do. It’s an endless cycle of overwork and exhaustion. Yet inside every woman’s heart is a longing for true rest. It’s there because God designed us that way–but it seems out of reach.
Enough is enough. Our lives probably aren’t going to get less busy, especially if we’re in a demanding season of life, but we can do busy better. In this burden-lifting book, Glynnis Whitwer helps women examine their hearts and their schedules in order to seek a healthy and holy balance between–and enjoyment of–both work and rest. She shows readers how to prioritize their goals and their time, how to be present in the moment as Jesus was, and how to find the freedom of true soul rest. Most importantly, she shows women that their worth is found not in their accomplishments but in the love of the One who made them for work and for rest.
I loved Kathi’s comment about the type of people who listen to this podcast are the ones who hang out with coffee while working on their lists. I am listening as I work at my desk (But had to stop and comment). I “save up” podcasts for my “at desk” times of my job (hence the delay). I especially love this and the previous discussions. I am a kindred spirit for sure! …Now back to the previously recorded message…
I enjoyed this podcast!! I am currently revamping my life and schedule by getting a day job after working 2nd shift for 13 years. I’m burned out and I’m putting my family first!!! Thanks for this! Pray for me and my family as we transition, I’m laying things down and going to pray thru it before I pick new things to fill my time.
Such a helpful conversation! Thank you! I feel God showing me I need to surrender a “I’m the bottom line” mentality, to take an inventory of the things I feel I need to do – my mental clutter – and re-evaluate those. Thank you!
This podcast was absolutely brilliant! (I loved part 1, too!) I was especially challenged about honoring the Sabbath. We have four children that are in a myriad of sports activities and my husband typically has to work 5-10 hours on the weekend to keep up on charts (he’s a physician). We travel all over in the spring and fall for kids’ soccer games (we typically have 5-6 games every weekend in various cities). This may sound crazy, but I feel sitting in a chair, encouraging my children, and listening to and encouraging other parents can actually be a Sabbath activity. It doesn’t feel like work; it feels like a great way to celebrate their God-given gifts. However, I would like to start being proactive about using the time on Friday and Saturday so our Sunday evenings aren’t a huge “catch up and get ready for the week” time. I feel inspired…thank you!!!
Oh, and Sharon…our garage was full (both sides, actually) of tons of things we needed to get rid of. I decided to put an ad up on Facebook and put out signs and then I set the tables of items outside without any prices and simply priced as I went. It may not be ideal, but it got everything out of my house (I told folks everything would be based on name brand of the item and condition it was in, but most of mine were kids’ clothes). Facebook (a classified group in your area) is a great way to get rid of big items, but quantity-wise, it can be tough to post tons of individual things. I just pick my bigger items and post those. I actually am not on Facebook socially; I just utilize it for selling items. You have an incredibly full plate with helping your husband, managing medical appointments, and juggling your household responsibilities. Don’t let the clutter beat you up. You are doing what matters most!
I’m in my mid 40’s and I have worked myself silly through the years on things I thought I “should” do. Life is full and busy enough without adding in other’s and my own “should do expectations.” I have almost forgotten how to step away to hear from God, Himself on what I really should be doing. In the busyness I have lost myself and my connection to hearing the voice of God. I must implement the Sabbath!
I need wisdom in deciding which are the right things to let go in my busy life. It seems like the fun is the first to go.
I’m guilty! Haha! This podcast really pegged me. God has me learning to let go of control and trust Him for all the to dos; to let Him set the pace versus me and my unrealistic expectations. The bottom line is to find my identity in Him and what He says and not from myself and my productivity; to really believe His word re: my worth. True rest! Thanks for offering us such encouragement and wisdom. Blessings!
Busy work. It’s so easy to get caught up in the little things that can wait when there is more important work to be done. I would love to win this book. But either way, it’s been put on my wish list. I am looking forward to diving in.
I love this because being a mom of young children I find even my attempts of vacation or sabbath is still BUSY! There is definaey a difference between a restful mindful busy day and complete chaos and emaotional burnout busy. A refreshing reminder that my busy can less overwhelming! Thank you!
Hi Codie!
Congratulations! You won the book giveaway! Thank you for participating. Please send your mailing address to contests@kathilipp.com. I will also send you an email as well. Thank you for participating and have a great week!
Thanks!
Chere
I love the concept of Doing Busy Better because I am also a person that struggles with always wanting to do more and accomplish things often pushing myself beyond my limits. I am really working on not doing it all and asking my family for more specific help. Also I am working on scheduling time to rest and do what I need to do to recharge. I realized I have been watching TV at night to rest but it really wasn’t rest for me because it wasn’t fulfilling. If I read a book or do something else more intentional it really brings me greater peace. Thank you so much Kathi for your podcasts, you 1000 thing fling, and the Overwhelmed bible study I am doing. All of these are really strengthening my joy and peace!
My favorite part of this podcast was that “we are not the bottom line”. God is the bottom line. We do work so hard all the time trying to make sure everyone and everything is done. I also am someone who wants to to see productivity every day from myself. But I have to trust God that He is taking care of every little thing and when my schedule or my to do list gets off track, it’s because He is steering me in a different direction and instead of getting mad about that or frustrated, just go with it! That’s how I plan to do busy better!! Thank you so much!!
The part that really struck a chord with me was letting go of my expectations when something surprising happens that I didn’t see coming! I am soooo stuck in a life of “should be’s” (as my husband calls it) and I beat myself up if I don’t accomplish or things don’t go according to how I think they “should be.” God’s plan is master over mine, and I need to let go of mine and accept His. Very blessed by your books and podcasts. I found them (only a few weeks ago) in a time where I really need help! Thank you!
I know I’m bad busy but I don’t know how to get over it. My husband was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s so we’ve been trying to downsize. We’ve been trying to have a yard sale for almost two years. We started out trying to get everything priced and organized but it just got so overwhelming that I’ve just got everything piled up in each room. The clutter is about to get me. It looks like we’re hoarders. Everytime I look at it I just can’t seem to face it to get it uncluttered. I need help bad. Thanks for listening.