Theme of the Week: Setting Family Rhythms
Bible Verse: “Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, ‘Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.’” Mark 6:31
Scripture Reading: Mark 6:7-12, 30-34
Finding and keeping a rhythm in life is meant to help us manage things well. Help us get to every task we have with the right amount of energy and focus. And it does. But there is one thing that we have to make part of our rhythm in order to make that happen. We have to build in time to rest.
Rest can look like a lot of different things. Sometimes it even looks like one of the things on your to-do list—my wife claims that sorting, organizing, and purging is like taking a deep breath. I’m not sure how that’s true, but I can see the results. For me, those would be the thing I need a break from. Maybe rest is time away from your computer screen and in front of a movie screen. Maybe it’s a walk around the block with your family or a trip to the park. Maybe it’s a nap. There is no right or wrong for what rest looks like.
But the need is real. Jesus saw it when his disciples came back from a whirlwind of a ministry outing. Exorcisms and healings. And when they returned, the crowds didn’t give Jesus or the disciples a moments peace, not even to eat. So, Jesus told them to come away with him and rest. (It didn’t actually work, and this was one of the times when Jesus embraced a detour—see yesterday’s devotional.)
In each of us there is a drive to do, to accomplish all that we can, and we feel the pressure to reach for those goals. But there is no such thing as an infinite tank. Sure, sometimes the gas mileage is better than others, but eventually the needle drops and we sputter our way to the shoulder feeling silly that we’ve run out of gas when the reminders and warnings were all there to see the whole time.
Finding time within your rhythm to rest and refuel will allow you to keep playing, or driving, whichever metaphor you prefer. It gives us time to check our surroundings and take stock of what we have accomplished so far and what road is left to travel. We can stretch our legs, feeling good about the road behind and excited about what’s ahead.
If Jesus recognized the need to rest, and tried to offer it to his disciples, we should follow his lead. Find a place away from all that you must do and take a breath. Make it part of your rhythm.
Prayer: Jesus, life is busy and sometimes it’s difficult to feel okay taking a deep breath. It’s hard to set something aside to take time to rest. But I know that if I don’t things will suffer in the end when I try to do them too tired. Help me understand that rest is part of how you created us.
Reflection: What does rest look like to you? Find 30 minutes (at least) this week to rest.
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