Last week I started a series entitled, An Unhurried Life, this week, we will continue that series. Last week, I stated my goal was to help us to focus on slowing down and the things that mean the most to us. Here is a statement to consider,
A Hurried Life causes me to work when I should be resting, and it causes me to rest when I should be working; a hurried life makes me unbalanced.
How do we, as followers of Jesus Christ, stay balanced? Last week we looked at one way to achieve balance: prioritizing rest. Today, we will look at another component that helps us to achieve balance, and that is, seeking Jesus. We read in Mark 6:33 that “…many people recognized…[Jesus and his disciples] and saw them leaving, and people from many towns ran ahead along the shore and got there ahead of them.”
Jesus, in his infinite wisdom, decided for he and the disciples to go to an isolated place so they could talk and rest. By way of a quick recap, Jesus and his disciples had just connected after a time of fruitful ministry. The disciples were eager to share with Jesus all the things that had taken place in their ministry but could not because the crowd was pushing in on them. The people pressed in on them, overheard what was said, and ran ahead of Jesus and the disciples to beat them to the isolated place.
I have come to recognize that I run a lot. No, I am not talking about running as an exercise. I am talking about running in life. I run to appointments. I run to the store. I run to church. I run constantly. But do I run to Jesus? I am not talking about on Sunday morning. I am talking about every day of the week. Have I allowed the things I get to do to keep from what I need to do? Let me say that again, in another way, have I allowed my calendar to get in the way of me seeking Jesus? Sadly, for me, the answer is yes. As I write this today, I am reflecting on my day, and it pains me to say that I have rushed around all day doing things, and I have not sought Jesus. Sure, I am doing things God has given me to do, but doing and being are two different things.
I close with a sports analogy. Have you ever found yourself watching football or basketball, and the game is getting out of hand, and you yell out, “take a timeout, coach!” Timeouts are a break from the action so the team can catch their breath, regroup, and regain or change their focus. In life, we all need a timeout to breathe, regroup, and recover or change our focus. That is what I did today; when I found my day had run out of control, I took a timeout and sought Jesus.
As you read this post, my encouragement is if you find yourself reeling, take a timeout, seek Jesus and let him comfort you. I love what Mark 6:34 said, “Jesus saw the huge crowd as he stepped from the boat, and he had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.” Jesus had compassion for the people.
When we seek Jesus, we will find his arms open wide!
A Hurried Life causes me to work when I should be resting, and it causes me to rest when I should be working; a hurried life makes me unbalanced.
How do we, as followers of Jesus Christ, stay balanced?
We prioritize rest, and we seek Jesus.
Dr. Draper Rogers is a pastor with Gardendale First Baptist Church and a contributor to North Jefferson Magazine.
