Are you so busy that you don’t stop for or simply forget to eat lunch? Jesus ran a similarly busy schedule.
“The apostles returned to Jesus from their ministry tour and told him all they had done and taught. Then Jesus said, “Let’s go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile.” He said this because there were so many people coming and going that Jesus and his apostles didn’t even have time to eat” (Mark 6: 31-32).
Jesus and His apostles had a critical mission and they skipped lunch in pursuit of it. Since God designed us to work, our busy schedules are a natural result. However, being busy can be sinful when we do it with a feeling of pride and accomplishment. Comparing our productivity to others is an easy trap to fall into. Busyness and productivity can become a sliding scale for our self-worth and feelings of personal accomplishment rather than a way to honor Christ with our work, talents and schedule.
What else does the Bible say about rest?
Jesus says, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30).
Rest might seem like a foreign concept. Maybe you’re in survival mode, just trying to make it through each day. Rest might not feel like a viable option. Or maybe the word rest brings up images of laziness and sloth. If you do sit down to rest, you feel guilty. Your mind keeps wandering back to your to-do list. That is not how God designed us to live. He wants us to be refreshed and live life abundantly.
“Six days do your work, but on the seventh day do not work, so that your ox and your donkey may rest, and so that the slave born in your household and the foreigner living among you may be refreshed” (Exodus 23:12).
“So the creation of the heavens and the earth and everything in them was completed. On the seventh day God had finished his work of creation, so he rested from all his work” (Genesis 2:1-2).
Let’s not confuse resting with taking a vacation. Often, our vacations leave us more exhausted than when we started. Resting is actually about the rhythm of connecting with God, reorienting our lives back to Him, and deepening our relationship with our Father, Maker and Sustainer; the only one who can truly provide rest and life.
Resting, along with scripture and prayer, is the primary way we guard our hearts from finding worth in things outside of Christ. Just as Jesus displayed, we must prioritize time to rest even when other important tasks (including ones God called us to) are demanding our time.
“Guard your heart with all diligence, for from it flow springs of life” (Proverbs 4:23).
Is there a specific time each week or month that you dedicate to resting? Are there dates on your calendar blocked off for periods of rejuvenation? Have you found quiet places that you actually rest and connect with God?