Rest More! Do Less!

Doing Too Much?

Those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings like eagles. They shall run and not be weary. They shall walk and not faint. 
–Isaiah 40:31 (RSV)

We live in a culture which has often fooled us into believing that busyness is a virtue and continuing to do more is simply better. We are spinning more and more plates. Far too many people in our world are spiritually, emotionally, and physically bankrupt because they are overcommitted and overtired.

The legendary football coach of the Green Bay Packers, Vince Lombardi once said, “Fatigue makes cowards of us all.” The late-comedian Flip Wilson summed it up best for many of us when he said, “If I had my entire life to live over again, I doubt if I’d have the strength.”

I don’t believe God wants us to be crazy busy to the point we are forgetting important things or  always on the edge of exhaustion. What’s the answer? There are no easy formulas for success, but there are two suggestions I would like to propose.

1. Cut back and do less. If this means making less money, cutting back on your social obligations, or even taking a night off from volunteering, then do whatever it takes to not be so overcommitted and fatigued.(Give your overseer advance notice of course!) I’ve heard it said, “If the devil can’t make you bad, he’ll make you busy.”
2. Rest. Rest should be a nonnegotiable time in everyone’s life. Even God rested! Exodus 31:17 says, “In six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed.” When we rest, we get a proper perspective on our life. When we rest, we can reflect on what has taken place in our life during the week. Does your life have control of you, or do you have control of your life? Rest and reflection will help you answer that question.

Remember to plan less so you can wait on the Lord!

Blessings,

Thora