Jesus Commanded Rest

This week I begin a new adventure, graduate school.  It's been on my bucket list for a long time...even before I finished my undergraduate degree 18 years ago.  As classes opened online, I accessed my account and began to look at the details of the syllabus.

My eager heart craves to study, but I can see clearly the extra demand of time I have just assumed after cleaning out my life just a few months before.  Its taken only a few days to become overwhelmed with the amount of additional work.

There's a great song out right now by Tenth Avenue North called "I'm worn."  It was written by a parent, exhausted from the work it takes to care for a toddler.  Most days the responsibilities we assume are mentally and physically tiring.  "Worn" is a step beyond...when you are so tired you lose the desire to continue the fight.

Worn, I have been there.  Spending more and more time trying to accomplish things on my own.  The harder you work, the more work there is to do. Its easy to become burned out, exhausted, finding a gaping hole in the center of your heart as you go through the motions of life unfulfilled.

This week God brought me to Mark 6:30.  Its a verse I shall not take lightly. In the midst of pressing crowds, after healing the sick and sharing the message, Jesus spoke these words to his disciples "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest."

The to do list is often longer than the day, but it is so important to spend time with God. He refuels our worn out spirits.  He helps us achieve a place where even though the list is longer than the hours in the day, we can tackle it head on.

My friends, if Jesus can take the disciples aside for rest in the midst of a busy day, we need to let him also take us aside for some rest.  Don't put your quiet time aside...its important.  When he becomes the head of the list, the list becomes much easier to handle, I promise.