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Making Time to Rest When There Is No Time

Checklists are fun. And all the Type As, Enneagram 3s, and other task-oriented types said amen. We’re good with the slay-all-day-pray-all-night life…except somewhere along the way, the praying part became one more thing on the checklist, not out of a passion to pursue a relationship with Christ. As women serving in the church, it’s easy to pour all our focus into our good churchy deeds. Who has time for rest when there are small groups to lead, children to teach, funerals and weddings to plan, and tearful midnight phone calls from forlorn parishioners to address? Whether or not you love checklists as much as I do, when you are busy being busy for Jesus, it’s easy to allow quiet prayer and sabbath rest to slide through the cracks.

I’ve known Jesus since I was a child, grew up studying the Bible in school and church, and now teach the Word as an adult, but for too long, I was blind to one crucial truth about Jesus’ life. Jesus made rest a priority. Ask the disciples on that stormy night when they woke Him from His peaceful slumber or the mountain where He went alone to pray regardless of the lost and broken crowds of people needing Him.

Why do I feel like if I set aside time to be still and rest in God’s presence, I’ll fall behind, let people down, or the church will fall apart without me? If resting worked for the One Who literally holds the world together, I think the earth would remain intact long enough for me to take a breather. I am not above the very thing Jesus prioritized. He was the ultimate example of a ministry leader, preacher, and teacher. Never stopping to rest doesn’t make me more spiritual; it makes me tired and, honestly, a bit cranky. What follows is a sure road to burnout where I’m looking back baffled by where it all went wrong.

To serve Jesus well, we must sometimes tarry. We must abide in the presence of the Lord as long as it takes for our spirits to be recharged and our minds to find the clarity that only comes from an omniscient Father.

How do we do this? How do we quiet the noise and empty our minds of racing thoughts long enough to be still and rest with the Lord? One practical way to do it is a “Be Still Day.” We could even call this day our sabbath.

You probably won’t commit to a “Be Still Day” weekly. Your sabbath may end up looking different from week to week. But this special day could be the catalyst for you to learn how to rest and be still in the presence of God, how to meditate on God’s Word, “Be still, and know that I am God (Psalm 46:10a NIV).” You will know how to hear the voice of God without the noise of everyday life, and you will learn how to dream with God again while basking in the rest He provides.

Watch the video provided for more encouragement and instruction on how to experience your own refreshing “Be Still Day.”