It was not until last semester that I discovered the benefits of having a daily to-do list. Before then, I relied on my memory to complete tasks and spent much more time napping or just laying in bed than I did being productive. Now, with classes getting busier, I obsess over my to-do list. One of my friends wrote, "Tell Trey he is cool" on it and I did it just for the pure satisfaction of marking it off. I keep myself so busy that I find myself in class while doing homework for another class, finishing assignments on my phone as I walk to my car, or staying up into early morning hours. While keeping a to-do list has kept me more on top of things and helped me keep my stress level to a minimum, I have become so consumed with crossing things off a list and being productive that I have neglected to give myself time to just be and to sit and rest.
This week God has placed a truth in my heart that I have not been able to shake. It is a constant thought and one I simply cannot push aside no matter how hard I try.
Even Jesus rested.
Let's look at one of my favorite stories from Mark 4.
35 That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” 36 Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. 37 A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. 38 Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”
39 He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.
40 He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
I think Jesus probably left a lot on his "to-do" list that day. (Of course Jesus was perfect and so obviously He did what He was supposed to but just follow me for a second.) There were still more lessons that could have been taught. There were probably people who still needed healing and probably people with hungry tummies. But still, Jesus knew that He needed time to go and rest.
Notice too that Jesus did not just stop to rest when it was convenient. He literally rested in the middle of a storm. A time of rest might not always be convenient, but it will always be necessary. It is also important to note that even Christian fellowship is not a replacement for rest in Christ. Jesus was with his disciples. He could have sat and talked, socialized, or played a game of Phase 10, but instead He chose alone time in the stern. I try to always remind myself there is a difference in good things and God things. We might seem to be doing everything right. We are with good Christian company, involved in a church and in a ministry, pouring into others, but yet we still have everything wrong. Without time to rest in Christ, we are unable to gain the Spiritual energy we need in order to live and love like Jesus did.
So today I didn't finish my to-do list. Instead, I took a nap with my dog, I took some time to fellowship with friends, and most importantly I spent some extra time in the Word and didn't rush so I could move to the next task. I rested.
Eugene Peterson says, "Busyness is an illness of the spirit." Let's pray for healing from this illness and restoration from Jesus, our source of rest.
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."-Matthew 11:28
-Amy
