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 NLT

Being busy is a chronic condition for many of us. Sometimes, we’re busy because we create our own mess by taking on too much. Other times, busyness finds us even when we try our best to live wisely. Being busy happens; it even happened to Jesus! And He lived a perfect and sinless life. Despite His repeated warnings to those He healed to keep quiet, news spread rapidly once the miracles began. This resulted in crowds following Him, needing Him, and asking for help. It grew so overwhelming that Jesus and His disciples couldn’t even find time to eat. Now, that is busy.

I find myself in a “too busy” season due to my own silly choices. I overcommitted in a flurry of “this doesn’t look too hard” decisions, one after another. The result is a weekly to-do list that feels a bit overwhelming. No, make that very overwhelming. You would think I’d learn. [Sigh.] Individually, all the choices were good ones. I didn’t sign up to rob a bank or throw a wild party! No, each of these busy-making choices would bring blessings to people and honor to God. The problem came when I stacked the “good things” too high. Jesus was busy because other people chose to crowd Him. I am busy because I crowded myself.

So. What’s a woman to do with a dilemma like this? Oh, and to add to the embarrassment, it’s a woman who leads a ministry based on “sweet selah”—an encouragement to “take time to know God and love Him more and more,” a ministry that values rest. Well, here’s my plan, and I’d appreciate your prayers. I plan to rest despite the busy. In our passage above, Jesus left all the “many people coming and going” so that He and His disciples could go to a quiet place and rest a while. He did not allow the agenda to dictate the day to Him. He planned rest.

Already in place, I have regularly planned rest times daily, weekly, and monthly. Daily, I spend my first hour with the Lord. I love that hour! I am spoiled rotten that I am at a place in life where I can linger longer over Scripture and prayer. I refuse to give that up just because of busy.

In addition, I need an hour after lunch each day to rest, doze, read a fiction book, and clear my mind from the writing and directing happening the rest of the day. Not skipping that nap. Nope. That’s what fuels the second half of the day.

Each evening concludes with warm milk, a cookie, and a physical fiction book once again. I sleep so much better if I am not on computers and phones during the last 45 minutes of the day. And I’ll need the sleep for the busy months ahead. So, that routine is not going away either.

I take a weekly “sabbath” from Saturday at sundown to Sunday at sundown. It’s a fun acknowledgment that the world runs quite fine without me. I can entrust the work to God, simply be still with Him, and let my mind and body recoup. Then, monthly, I take a Selah Day—actually part of a day. I spend 4-5 hours just “being” with God instead of “doing” for God.

So. The plan for this busy season is to do my best between the non-negotiable rests. Still, this plan is made knowing full well that God could ask me to lay aside those rest times for an unexpected need or two. If you read further in Mark 6, you’ll see that Jesus’ plan for rest was overturned by the same crowd that would not leave Him alone and followed Him to the quiet place. And you’ll see that they were met not with irritation but with compassion. Only after He loved on them did He turn again to find rest.

I have always loved this chapter in Mark. It places a high value on rest but an even higher value on being available to do God’s will. That must always come first. So, I’ll choose to rest even when busy, but I will hold it in an open palm, knowing that an emergency with family or friends could call me, regardless of whether I’m tired. Still, I do hope that my rests will remain because they fuel the busy with sweet happiness as I work, doing what He calls me to do and trusting that what needs to get done will, and the rest will wait.

Dear Lord, I love that You know firsthand what being busy looks like. You know the incessant demands that people and “good deeds” can place on a life. Thank You for modeling such compassion and grace to others, even when You were depleted as a human being here on earth. Help me to choose rest, but not elevate it as the highest good. You and Your will are my highest good. Help me to follow You in the busy times of my own making and in the still times that You call me to in the midst of it all. I yield, Lord, to Your plans over mine. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

You are loved,
Sharon

Sweet Selah Ministries

Vision
To inspire a movement away from the belief that “busy is better”
and toward the truth of God’s Word that stillness and knowing
Him matter most—and will be reflected in more effective work and service

Mission
To offer biblical resources and retreats that help women pause (Selah)
and love God more deeply as they know Him more intimately (Sweet)

Donate
If you’ve been blessed, keep the blessing going!
Click over to our Donation page … and thanks.

Share it. Pin it.