The Lesson Of Rest from Jesus

Too Busy In Life? We Can Learn The Lesson Of Rest from Jesus

Mark 6.31-32

31And He (Jesus) said to them (the apostles), "Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while."

 From site: ts.realestate.com

This life can get so busy sometimes, things happen in our lives that propel us from one activity to another. Our lives can get so busy at times that we scarcely gain time to sit and ponder things. Our lives descend to the tyranny of the urgent. But this isn't how it has to be. From the above reading in the Gospel of Mark I learn there are times we should take time out for physical and spiritual rest because Jesus needed time for retreat and rest. Yes, even Jesus needed to recharge His batteries with His Father and get away from the hustle and bustle of the world and things that would like to crowd out our thoughts and distract from prayer and listening to Him.
In 1960, expert testimony concerning time management was presented to a Senate subcommittee. The experts said that because of advances in technology, within twenty years or so, people would be radically cutting back on how many hours a week they worked, or how many weeks a year they worked, or else they would have to start retiring sooner. The great challenge, according to the experts of the sixties, was what people in our decade would do with all their free time. I'm sure all of you are struggling right now with all the free time you have, right?
 Wesley said once "Though I am always in haste, I am never in a hurry". Are you always in a hurry, rushing here and rushing there and never stopping to smell the roses?

Many of us are stressed because we are hurried, not because we are busy.

I think most of us could dramatically improve the quality of our lives if we could somehow find a way to slow ourselves down in the midst of being busy. But this is not easy because most of us suffer from the highly contagious and often undiagnosed disease of "hurry sickness".
"Hurry Sickness" has been defined as: "the continuous struggle to accomplish or achieve more and more things or participate in more and more events in less and less time."
A song says, 
"I'm in a hurry to get things done, 
I rush and rush until life is no fun, 
all I've really got to do is live and die, 
but I'm in a hurry and I don't know why." 
Does the song or definition describe you? Slow down then, unhurry your life, "Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place (with Jesus) and rest a while." 
Jesus says, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Matthew 11:29-30 NIV


See also Pete's Blog on Spiritual Retreats