Slow Down
by Xan Proctor
"Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself.
Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." -Matthew 6:34
During my latter years of high school, I was very involved, but that also kept me quite busy; going from school to theater rehearsal, and then to youth group until late in the evening. Each day had a lot going on, which I genuinely enjoyed, but I often didn't realize the effect it had on me. Sometimes, even now, I let myself get caught up in the busyness, while my spirit longs for a lifestyle of restfulness.
In my last devotional, I talked about the importance of Bible memorization, and especially how it has made a big impact on my life. As a team where I work, we memorized the Sermon on the Mount together, and this verse from Matthew 6 has become one of my favorites. I am often reminded of it when I recognize the busyness going on in my life. There are moments where I forget to think about ‘right now’ because my mind is so preoccupied with what I have to do tomorrow, or the rest of the week. I have a sneaking suspicion that I'm not the only one...
So what does it mean to not be anxious? To live in a spirit of restfulness? I don't think this means we should clear our whole schedule and have nothing to do all week. We all have lives and many different plans to make, or schedules to follow, or events to attend. But I believe there's still hope. I often find myself giving up or not even trying to find rest within my week if I'm 'too busy'. However, the Lord reminds me of the importance of abiding in His presence. In John 15, Jesus says that if we do not abide in Him, we can do nothing. Not even a little bit, or a solid day of work. Nothing. Okay, wow, now we see the significance of abiding in Jesus. But, how do we even do that? When there are homework assignments to do? When there are kids to be taken care of? When I have to catch up on a lot of leftover work?
I often overlook the fact that Jesus was a pretty busy fellow. He always had people following Him and asking Him questions, or trying to test Him. I don't know about you, but that sounds overwhelming to me. Yet, Jesus still demonstrates the perfect example of a restful spirit. He made time (quite different from finding time) in His schedule to be with the Father, just as we should do with Him. "If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full” (John 15:10-11).
There are many different practices to help you abide in Jesus during your busy week:
First, make time at the beginning of the day to read your Bible, even if it is 5-10 minutes at breakfast. Other ideas:
Praying and asking what the Lord has for this day.
Journaling five things you are grateful for each morning.
Spending three minutes in silence.
Memorizing one verse that will help you through the day.
Second, consider these helpful tips for during the day:
Setting reminders on your desk at work with a Bible verse on it or encouragement.
Creating alarms on your phone throughout the day as a reminder to pray and ask the Lord for guidance or peace.
These are just some of many examples you can adopt into your daily rhythms. Some have been helpful for me as well.
Being able to do nothing scares me a little bit, to be honest. But I know that Jesus promises fullness of joy when we abide in His love. I have a lot of faith for what God can do in our lives when we strive to dwell in His presence. I pray that you also have faith for what He can do in your life.
Dear Lord, I thank You for Your Word, and how it gives us life. That it also instructs us on how to live our lives, and that You even set an example for us. Your grace is immeasurable, and this is another way we can see that. I pray that You would convict us of areas in our life where we do not abide. Instead, help us to create ways to do the exact opposite, and remain in Your presence all week long. In Jesus' name, Amen.