Life has been so busy lately that I finally had to force myself to stop. I mean truly stop; drop everything and rest. No outings, no obligations, no work, no driving around… just giving my body the break it’s been crying out for (and yet I still ended up doing chores and ticking off to do’s).
Time feels like a luxury most of us don’t have. We work five days a week, if we’re lucky, and then spend the weekend trying to squeeze in everything we couldn’t manage during the week: chores, social activities, family time, church, errands… and before you know it, Monday is already threatening to show up again.
Yesterday, I had to pause and ask myself, “What am I doing all this for?”
Even God rested on the seventh day.
Even Jesus took moments of retreat during His ministry.
So why do we think we’re supposed to keep running endlessly on this hamster wheel called life?
I understand we don’t want to fall into laziness or waste precious time. But there’s a real difference between being busy and being productive. What’s the point of rushing to achieve everything life has to offer if it only leaves us burned out or worse, shortens our lifespan?
Sometimes stepping back isn’t a sign of weakness… it’s wisdom.
Remember the story of Elijah?
1 Kings 19:3–18
This is one of the clearest biblical examples of burnout.
Elijah had just come off a huge spiritual victory,
but he was completely drained; emotionally, spiritually, mentally and physically.
He ran into the wilderness, sat under a broom tree, and prayed that he might die.
He was done.
How God responded is the message:
God didn’t scold him.
God didn’t tell him to “push through.”
Instead, God let Elijah sleep.
Then He sent an angel to give him food and water.
Elijah slept again.
Only after he rested did God give him direction, comfort, and purpose.
Even God’s strongest servants need rest and that sometimes the most spiritual thing we can do is simply stop and recover.
While running this rat race, when do we actually set time apart to sit with God?
Is it during our commute? While cleaning the bathroom?
Many of us have become masters of multitasking, and although spending time with God while doing other things is better than nothing, it’s still far from enough.
Because what we’re really saying is:
“Life is too busy, so I’ll squeeze You in while I’m getting other things done.”
But would we treat the king of our country that way if he were standing right in front of us?
Would we talk to him while folding laundry or rushing out the door? Of course not. We’d stop. We’d give him our full attention, our respect, and our undivided presence.
How much more, then, does God deserve intentional time set apart, time that isn’t shared with chores, noise, or endless tasks?
Think of the story of Martha (sister of Mary and Lazarus) in Luke 10:38–42
Martha was busy, distracted, and stressed with serving. She was doing good things, but doing them in a hurried way. Mary, on the other hand, stopped everything and sat at Jesus’ feet to listen.
Jesus responded:
“Mary has chosen the better portion, and it will not be taken from her.”
This story shows that God values our presence, not only our productivity.
Mary made time exclusively for Jesus, she wasn’t doing dishes while listening, she wasn’t cleaning while praying. She chose intentional, focused time.
Let’s choose to do better; taking time off when our bodies need it so we can be truly productive when it matters, but also taking time to pause and listen to our Heavenly Father, who is patiently waiting for our undivided attention.
Stay Blessed x
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