the battle of time
Do you ever feel like you are in a constant battle for your attention and time? There’s work, school, family, friends, the gym, and on top of it all you are trying to spend time with God. As time goes on I’ve noticed this has only gotten harder. There are more things demanding my attention every day. It gets overwhelming and tiring. I have been a victim of overcommitting myself more often than I’d like to admit.
I am constantly trying to figure out how to complete all my responsibilities and still have time to relax. I mean I do live at the beach, so going to the beach feels like a must. I had a conversation with my mom the other day and told her I was constantly thinking that if I could just get through the next couple of weeks, I could get a breather. Well, those couple of weeks pass and there is no breather, just another busy couple of weeks. Don’t get me wrong, I am extremely thankful for the job I have, the things I am involved in, and the future that I’m investing in. However, there are times when it feels like it’s just too much.
So how do we take a moment to calm down and enjoy the present when we are so bogged down by the busyness? You take rest in God. There are always going to be responsibilities to tend to, work to go to, and friends to see. Our ability to do these things and not get bogged down by the busyness of it all is accomplished by stepping completely into God’s warm embrace of rest.
The important question is, how do you do this? These actions don’t have to look a certain way. It could be five minutes of sitting in silence and inviting Him into the silence. It could be worshipping him in the car on the way to work, asking for him to give you rest, journaling your thoughts and feelings, or even just starting your day by saying “God, I invite you into every part of my day today.” Disclaimer: it is still extremely important to spend quality time in God’s word, but it doesn’t always have to be elaborate. God has actually worked and spoken to me more in the quick and messy moments throughout my day when I call out to him.
We can only receive true, fulfilling rest from God. Yes, you can sleep 8 hours and physically feel rested, but our soul can only receive rest from God. I’ve quickly learned we have to pour into ourselves before we are able to pour into others.
Ephesians 5:15-17 says, “Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is.” It is important we take a step back and look at where we are spending our time. Are you carving out time in your day to spend with God? FYI I am calling myself out here too. The laundry can wait, the homework can wait, and the other responsibilities can wait because they aren’t coming to heaven with us, our souls are. So give them rest, rest in God.
