Day 14
Mark 6:30-32 “The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, ‘Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.’ So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place.”
The American idea might be, “We are so busy doing things for God that we don’t even have time to eat. Well done!” But Jesus urged them to take a time-out, in a quiet place, to be with Jesus and rest.
Take a deep breath and exhale.
Do it again.
Do it one more time.
We suffer from a disease: Hurry Sickness. One of the great illusions is that hurrying will buy us more time. The exact opposite is true - it is killing us. Again and again, as we pursue the spiritual life, we must do battle with hurry. We must recognize that our most common declaration, “I am so busy!” is not a boast but a confession of failure. A failure to rest is a failure of faith.
God gave us a gift called the Sabbath to insure that we would have a rhythm of rest built into our lives. This would remind us that God is our provider and that we don’t need to work hard to insure that we have resources, you know, in case God lets us down.
Listen to Jesus’ prescription: 1) Come with me by yourself. This is an essential rhythm of the soul if we are to be healthy and connected to God. 2) To a quiet place. Eliminate all distractions and just be. Don’t DO; just BE, and be quiet. And 3) Get some rest. Sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do is take a nap. Rest is a boast in the adequacy of God to provide all we need. It is an act of worship and praise to the God who marches on even while we sleep.
Today, reflect on this:
How much time are you spending alone with Jesus? What adjustments need to be made? Will you make those adjustments?
How rested are you? What keeps you from resting? Take a moment and confess faith in the competence of God to deliver all you need. Praise the God of provision. Then take a nap.
Practice a slow pace today. Be present in every moment and unhurried. Watch how amazingly you have all the time you need when you practice this pace.
Journal your thoughts on Sabbath, rest, and the unhurried life. Make a change.