Over the past couple of weeks, we realize we have to recalibrate our busy lives and hit the pause button for a few moments.
What comes to mind when I say,
- Rest
- Reset
- Quietness
- Stillness
- Peace
As we have seen, our souls need rest because they are weary from the tough grind of juggling many things. We also need to remember how God sustains us.
I think we can all agree that life is crazy. I know I am questioning where the year has gone. I blinked, and seven months have flown by. What happened? Where did all the time go?
When was the last time you slowed down long enough to relax, reset, and drink in the goodness of life?
I ask myself these questions all the time.
The phrase,
No rest for the weary…
It seems to permeate our lives. We push and push and push until our bodies give out in exhaustion. In California, we don’t have the four seasons, or at least, that is what it feels like.
It feels like we have two seasons – hot and hotter. This is why I love traveling so much; I have an opportunity to experience all four seasons.
The beauty of the summer gives way to the majesty of the fall, and the changing nature is spectacular.
The same can be true of exiting a harsh winter and welcoming spring flowers and April showers. By its very nature, rain brings restoration, healing, and much-needed nourishment for drylands.
Don’t we need the same thing for our weary souls?
Jesus stole away all the time to re-connect with His Father in heaven, and He continually taught His disciples the importance of fueling their souls.
During the summer of 2011, I found myself in the mountains of the Czech Republic on another mission trip. We were living the good life as mission trips go.
This chalet or hotel would be the hub for cross country skiing, downhill skiing, or even ski jumping during the winter season, but during the summer, this chalet played host to an English camp for Russians.
It was just after breakfast on a warm summer day as I sit at a beautiful lake just outside this chalet. The water was motionless, and the air was still.
As the photographer and writer for the trip, my days did not really get going until sometime after breakfast. I would walk down to the water’s edges and spend some quiet time with the Lord before the day’s activities kept me hopping.
Each morning, I would meet God here. I would take my Bible, journal, and camera and spend a few moments resting and listening.
I needed this time to re-calibrate my soul and my spirit.
We know life is hectic, and it was the same for the disciples in Jesus’ time. Mark captures the moment after the disciples had returned from a ministry tour and shared all that had happened.1
Mark says,
“Then Jesus said, “’Let’s go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile.'” — Mark 6:31a
Jesus invited His disciples to leave the busyness of that day and rest awhile.
What’s intriguing about this part of scripture is the next phrase that Mark captures.
“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 6:31b
What I think is intriguing and cool is Jesus cared for their soul and their physical needs. The last part of the verse says,
“…and his apostles didn’t even have time to eat.”
Does this sound like you?
Is your day so jam-packed that you miss breakfast, lunch, or dinner?
It happens to me all the time. My days are jam-packed especially when I work from home. It’s not good to miss meals. Our mind and body need nourishment to help us make wise decisions throughout the day.
Our soul needs nourishment as well. We need to steal away to a quiet place and spend time with Jesus. We need to be fueled and refueled for the day ahead, but just like food, we miss our time with Jesus, and our soul pays the price.
Jesus saw the exhaustion with His disciples, and He sees our exhaustion. He knew they could not sustain the pace they were on, and He offered an invitation.
It’s the same invitation He is offering us. He says, let’s go to a quiet place and rest awhile.
If we are not careful, we will waste away from the inside out. We need to slow down and hit the pause button.
Application
I want to encourage you to do a few things this week:
- Go to Bed Early – when your body rests, it restores – sleep is the body’s way of restoring itself.
- Read scripture or a devotional each day this week – it doesn’t have to be long. Scripture restores our souls. If you need help, check out Sarah Young’s great devotional Jesus Calling. Her words leap off the page and meet the needs of our souls when we need them most.
- Talk to God – it doesn’t have to be long, but get the things off your heart that are weighing you down. He invites you and me to sit down and dialog for a bit so we can be restored.
If you are thinking that’s a long list, then commit to doing one of these things this week. Do it with a friend and hold each other accountable. Let God restore your physical and spiritual body this week.
If you think that’s a long list, commit to doing one of these things this week. Do it with a friend and hold each other accountable. Let God restore your physical and spiritual body this week.
Take a few minutes to slow down and rest.
Prayer
Lord, thanks for the gentle reminder that we cannot operate at 100 mph – we need to slow down. Would you please help me to hit the pause button and rest in your goodness this week? Amen!
Footnotes
- Mark 6:30 ↩︎
Resources
- Jesus Calling – Sarah Young
Listen On…
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