Fighting the Flesh #16: Busyness

“And He said to them, ‘Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.’ For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat.”—Mark 6:31

We are busy people. We have gadgets that are supposed to help us save time, but all they have done is enabled us to be more busy. God has built and hardwired us to take a break from busyness and get some rest. We have to sleep. Scientists still can’t understand why we need sleep, but we do. As a matter of fact, sleep is a gift, “It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for He gives to His beloved sleep”—Psalm 127:2. God has given us sleep as a gift and we must make sure that we get enough of it. Notice, I said, get enough, not too much. Sleep is a gift, but too much sleep is a sign of laziness (cf. Proverbs 6:9-10).

We must endeavor to find rest. Jesus built the concept of rest into the creation. After God created the heavens and the earth in six days, He rested on the seventh (Genesis 2:2-3). Why? Did God need rest? No! God didn’t need rest, but He knew that we would! He embedded within creation the concept of rest for our benefit. Which is another reason why He commanded the Sabbath. It is not just so that we may know God, but that we might find rest, as Jesus taught, “And He said to them, ‘The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath’”—Mark 2:27.

Another way that we can take a break from busyness is by taking time to be silent. We need sleep, a Sabbath (work six rest one), and time to hear from God. As the Psalmist wrote, “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!"—Psalm 46:10. And again, “For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from Him”—Psalm 62:5. When we turn off our computers, televisions, iPods, and radios we are able to hear God’s voice clearly. We are able to sense His presence in our lives, pour out our hearts, and be filled with the live-giving knowledge of who He is. Some find this practice extremely difficult, especially those with small children. Nevertheless, even in the midst of parenting we can take time to be silent in order to hear from God. The great Susanna Wesley, mother of John and Charles Wesley, both founders of the Methodist movement, was an amazing woman. She had 19 children and still managed to find time to pray. If she couldn’t find a place to get away from the kids, she would stop and drape her apron over her head, which was a sign to the kids to be extra quiet so she could have time in prayer.

We may not have the ideal time or place to get away, but we must learn to make due with what we do have. Even in the midst of ministry, Jesus tried to get the disciples away to rest a while. They were so busy with ministry that they didn’t even have time to eat!

In our world today, it’s easy to be busy with many things, but we must rearrange our schedules so as to cultivate God-time. If God is our highest priority, then we must make the time for Him. We must get away from looking at our time investments as good, better, best, to good, better, blessed. We must fight against busyness. We must seek to get sleep, a Sabbath, and a time to be silent, so that we might find rest, joy, and peace for our souls in the joy and knowledge of knowing Him. He is our heart’s desire, and holy passion, and the one who has created and commanded rest for our benefit. Let’s make sure that we pursue, plan, and implement this spiritual discipline for His glory and our joy. Amen.