You can rest even when you have a hundred things to do.
You punch the accelerator. The speedometer needle edges up. The world outside your window is a blur. Faster, faster you zip around the track, exhilarated by the speed and the whine of an engine pushed to the limit. Skillfully, you weave past other cars -- watchful, alert. And suddenly tense.
SOMETHING IS WRONG.
A red flag catches your eye. Your crew chief is signaling you to pull in for a pit stop. What will you do? Will you heed the warning, even though it means giving up your position? Or will you ignore the signal and press on?
As a driver on the race track of busyness, I've experienced the thrill of zipping smoothly through my days, exhilarated by the speed and the hum of a schedule pushed to the limit. I've also suffered the pain of a crash because I've refused to obey the signals of the Holy Spirit warning me to temporarily pull out of the race for needed maintenance and refueling.
Why do I keep going when the Holy Spirit urges, "Pull over"? Do I subconsciously resent someone else controlling my life? Am I prideful, thinking I know best? Is my need to perform stronger than my desire to obey? Do I fear disapproval from others?
I crash for many reasons, but the result is always the same. Peace vanishes. I become anxious, nervous. People and their needs annoy me. Hurtful words slip out. I can't sleep. God seems distant. The warning light of my life flashes "Out of Control."
Perhaps the "frenzies" wouldn't bother me so much if I had never experienced peace in the midst of the whirlwind. But I have! Because of this, I feel an urgency to recapture my lost peace, and then to remain at peace -- always! But is this possible?
The world thinks it knows how to find peace in the whirlwind. Yoga instructors insist the answer is meditation and "out of body experiences." Magazines offer "Ten Ways to Beat Busyness." Corporate trainers promote "proven techniques for stress-free living." Travel agents claim peace is available in Hawaii -- for only $3,000!
But God said peace is not found in a program or a place, but in a Person. Jesus. "My peace I give you," Jesus said. "I do not give to you as the world gives" (John 14:27).
The peace the world offers is short-lived and shallow; the peace of Christ is immeasurable and eternal. His peace transcends human understanding and earthly circumstances (Phil. 4:7,12).
In Christ, I can be at peace when I have five major projects due at the same time. I can enjoy serenity in the midst of screaming children, a ringing phone, and an unexpected visit from my in-laws. I can remain calm when my car breaks down on the way to a job interview.
The secret to peace in the whirlwind of busyness is to abide in Christ.
GLUED TO JESUS
"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee," we're told in Is. 26:3 (KJV). "Remain in me, and I will remain in you," says John 15:4.
According to these verses, to have peace I need only to stay glued to Christ! Easy, right? No. In the stress of daily living I often become unglued.
My seven-year-old daughter, Amanda, came home from vacation Bible school and proudly announced, "I asked Jesus into my heart." "But honey, you asked Jesus into your heart two years ago," I replied. She shrugged her shoulders and sighed. "I know. But He keeps escaping."
Like Amanda, I sometimes feel as though I can't keep Jesus in me. He unexpectedly slips away, taking His peace with Him. Actually, the reverse is true. I slip away from Jesus and leave His peace behind! I try to "fix [my] eyes on Jesus" (Heb. 12:2) to "take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ" (2 Cor. 10:5). But my mind and heart wander. People and situations clamor for attention. Interruptions steal my time. Unexpected problems pre-empt my plans. Suddenly, I'm no longer "in Christ," but in chaos!
MEANINGFUL MOMENTS WITH GOD
Because God lives outside of time and space, He can pack the intensity of a week-long prayer retreat into a single moment. Following are examples of my meaningful moments with God. I trust you will not see this list as a formula for achieving intimacy with God. Intimacy with God has to do with who He is, not what I do! Intimacy flows from who you are as an individual. You are unique, so your own "list" will look quite different from mine. My primary challenge is this: look expectantly to see God in everything, and your meaningful moments will multiply. God Greetings Each morning as I open my eyes, my first thought is, "Good morning, Father." At the end of the day as I lay my head on the pillow, I whisper sleepily, "Good night, Lord." These simple greetings acknowledge God as the Alpha and Omega of my day. Traveling Tabernacle Often, surrounded by active children and talkative adults, I relish the time in my car when it is just Jesus and me. I pop a tape into the cassette player and sing praises to my Father. In the joy of expressive worship, the cares of the world slip away. I'm not even bothered by the driver next to me who is looking at me like I'm a few bricks short of a full load.
POTS AND PANS PRAYERS
Brother Lawrence, who worked in a monastery kitchen, said that whether he was in the kitchen or on his knees in the sanctuary made no difference. God was there just the same. This thought has inspired what I call "pots and pans prayers," a time in which dishwashing becomes communion with God. One evening as I was scraping greasy slime off a pot, my husband volunteered his help. "Go away. Can't you see I'm having a meaningful moment?" I teased. (However, I did offer to let him have his own meaningful moment the following evening!) Bible Break A slooowww moving train was making me late for an appointment. I drummed my fingers impatiently on the steering wheel. Then Psalm 131 (NASB) came to mind: "I do not involve myself in great matters ... too difficult for me." Why was this train moving at turtle speed? "Surely I have composed and quieted my soul. Like a weaned child rests against his mother, my soul is like a weaned child within me." Reflecting upon that verse was like receiving a half-hour massage. I arrived at my appointment late ... but relaxed.
SHARED SECRETS
Like a lover's wink across a crowded room is the sweetness of my shared secrets with God. He alone knew how much I wanted the $250 dress at the department store for an upcoming party. He knew the temptation I fought to buy the dress when it went on sale. He knew my disappointment upon discovering that even at 60 percent off, the dress was more than I could afford. Then, several days later, I came across a similar dress in my size at a garage sale -- for $15! As I paid for the dress, I blushed with joy! God's personal gifts endear me to Him in a way too intimate for words. Holy Hike God and I take walks together at least three times a week. Sometimes we share companionable silence. Other times we talk -- I share my heart and He shares His. Often I tell Him how much I love Him, how grateful I am for all He has done for me. In these moments I realize that all my life is a walk with Him, a joyful journey of new discoveries and growing closer to the One I love. -- Lorraine Pintus
Oswald Chambers writes in My Utmost for His Highest that we must begin with the end in mind. Focusing on the end simplifies the middle. When I fix my eyes on my end -- to glorify Jesus in all I say and do -- and I abide in Christ in the present, the days take care of themselves.
DELEGATION
Jesus did not attempt to handle His busyness on His own but, as God directed, He delegated; first to the 12 apostles, then to the 72, and later to His future church (Lk. 6:12-15, 10:1; Mt. 28:19-20).
Throughout Scripture, delegation is encouraged. "The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone," Jethro told Moses (Ex. 18:18), who then established overseers to help him lead Israel. Nehemiah would never have dreamed of rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem by himself.
Delegation is an effective tool for managing busyness. When coupled with empowerment and instruction, delegation minimizes burnout, builds up the Body of Christ, and advances the Kingdom of God.
REST
In our performance-oriented society, many of us, like the Energizer bunny, keep going ... and going! But God commands us to rest (Ex. 16:23, 31:15). In the Old Testament, rest came through observing special occasions: Weekly rest (the Sabbath), seasonal rest (feasts and holidays), and extended rest, as in the seventh Sabbath year in which the land and people rested. In the New Testament, rest comes through a relationship with Jesus.
Jesus proclaimed Himself "Lord of the Sabbath" (Lk. 6:5), suggesting that His rest supersedes the rest found in the Law. Old Testament rest involved occasional, physical rest. New Testament rest is continual and spiritual. Old Testament rest occurred because of something the people did out of respect for God. New Testament rest occurs because of what God did out of love for His people. Jesus' death on the cross put to death my sin, the root cause of all restlessness.
How do I tap into this rest? Simply abide. The core of my every thought must be: I am in Christ and He is in me. To rest, I have only to shut out the distractions of the world, draw deep within, and commune with my Lord in the quiet center of my heart where He resides. Though winds of conflict and waves of busyness assail me, I rest safely in the arms of the One who whispers, "Peace, be still."
Jesus wants me to combine the wisdom of the Old Testament physical rest with the concept of New Testament spiritual rest. He illustrated this as He instructed His weary disciples, "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest" (Mk. 6:31). Such instruction reinforces what I know to be true (but often forget): apart from Christ, there is no rest.
PRAYER
Jesus prayed unceasingly. Certain prayers expressed praise; others acknowledged His ongoing fellowship with the Father. One prayer expressed agony.
In His plea for the Father to remove the cross, Jesus sweat drops of blood (Lk. 22:44). He did not want to do what God was asking Him to do! Ultimately Jesus surrendered His desires to the Father's will. The cross remained, but in His mercy, God sent an angel to strengthen Jesus for what lay ahead.
Recently I agonized over something God was asking me to do. I pleaded with Him to remove the situation from my schedule, but His response was no, that He would use this to accomplish His purposes in me and in others. In His mercy, God sent two "angels," Sandy and Linda, to encourage me. Through the prayers of these friends, my burden lifted. My schedule had not changed, but now I had the peace to deal with what lay ahead.
LIVE ONE DAY AT A TIME
"Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself," Jesus said in Mt. 6:34.
Panic over my schedule almost always comes from looking too far ahead in my Day-Timer. Activities swell tsunami-size, and a giant wave of anxiety crashes down upon me.
Scripture warns us not to borrow trouble from tomorrow. God instructed the Israelites concerning the gathering of manna: "The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day" (Ex. 16:4). Some people disobeyed and gathered tomorrow's manna. The extra portion spoiled and became a breeding ground for maggots.
In Lk. 11:3, Jesus tells the disciples to pray, "Give us each day our daily bread." Charles Spurgeon comments on this thought in his daily devotional: "He only permits us to pray for daily bread and only promises that as our days our strengths shall be."
MANAGING BUSYNESS
If I lived in a secluded mountain cabin, being at peace would be easy. But I don't. Instead I must learn to be at peace on the racetrack of busyness. The Holy Spirit is my Helper, warning me when I stray from Christ. Anxiousness and worry are His signals that I am going too fast, that it's time to pull over and reconnect with my Lord.
What must I do to stay connected to Jesus? Depend upon Him. Obey Him. Focus continually upon Him. How do I effectively manage my busyness? The same way He did -- delegate to others, rest, pray, and live one day at a time.
Are you at peace in your busyness? If not, Jesus invites you: "Come to me ... and I will give you rest" (Mt. 11:28). Remain in me, and I will remain in you" (John 15:4). Peace in the midst of the whirlwind is that easy ... and that difficult.
Still, it is possible to consistently be at peace in the midst of busyness. I know because Christ did it. Christ was most likely the busiest person who ever lived. Crowds pestered Him. Strangers grabbed His clothing. People with needs disturbed His sleep and interrupted His teaching. In one day alone, Jesus encouraged the disciples, healed the sick, taught the multitude, fed 5,000,and helped a friend through a storm! All this, and He still found time to be alone with His Father (John 6:1-24). How did Jesus remain at peace in the midst of such busyness? He had help. Supernatural help. "By myself I can do nothing" (John 5:30). "It is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work" (John 14:10). Jesus lived a life of unbroken fellowship with His Father. It was His constant connectedness to God that enabled Him to have peace in the midst of turmoil. If I abide in Christ, I, too, can experience peace in the midst of chaos. But I must stay connected to my Lord, as Jesus stayed connected to His Father. Jesus demonstrates how this is possible. Following are seven things Jesus did that allowed Him to remain connected to His Father. Dependence "I do nothing on my own" (John 8:28) seemed to be the theme of Jesus' life. When a hemorrhaging woman touched Jesus' garment, hoping to be healed, power drained from Him. If power drained from Jesus each time He healed, why didn't He become "empty"? Dependence upon the Father allowed Him to draw from a well of limitless resources. Jesus invites me to draw from this well so that I, too, need never feel empty or drained. But access to the well is only gained through wholehearted dependence upon Christ. I must allow Jesus to be my all: the breath in my lungs, the thoughts in my head, the words on my lips. My spirit must proclaim, "Apart from [Christ, I] can do nothing" (John 15:5). My actions must declare, "I no longer live, but Christ lives in me" (Gal. 2:20). How does this work? When I am weary but have a Bible study to teach, I picture the tired me resting in a chair while Christ in me teaches the study. When I want to look at a magazine but my children want me to read them a book, I order the selfish me to step aside while Christ in me reads Hop on Pop (for the millionth time). When I feel anger toward the driver who has just cut me off, the angry me moves over and Jesus in me offers a sympathetic you-must-have-had-a-bad-day wave. Much of my dependence upon Christ involves me getting out of the way so that the King of kings may speak and act through me.
Obedience
In John 15:9-10, Jesus challenges, "Remain in my love, ... just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love." Jesus said, "I love the Father and ... do exactly what my Father has commanded me" (John 14:31, emphasis mine). Sometimes this verse translates in my life as, "I love the Father and do pretty much what He commands me." I do not make it a point to disobey God, but neither do I make it a point to wholeheartedly follow the holy standard God prescribes. The Bible says, "Do not judge"; instead I "discern." Scripture commands me to forgive as I have been forgiven; I sometimes forgive as I think the offender deserves. God warns, "Do not lie"; so I exaggerate.
"The man who says, 'I know him,' but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him" (1 John 2:4). I cannot abide if I will not obey. If the peace of God is absent from my life, perhaps it is because I am refusing to obey the Holy Spirit warning me to align my life with the Word of God. Focus Jesus said, "I know where I came from and where I am going" (John 8:14). Christ's every action was embedded in His purpose. He did not debate over whether or not to include certain activities in His schedule. Rather, the deliberateness of His every action spoke, "That is why I have come" (Mark 1:38; see also Luke 5:32, 9:21-22, 12:49-51, and John 12:27).
