“He makes me lie down in green pastures.” Psalm 23:2 NIV
“The more you are doing, the less well you are doing most, if not all, of it.”
My thoughts today are about times “when less is more.”
It’s exhausting trying to do everything all the time for everybody. Life has a way of ultimately requiring you to ease back on the throttle one way of another. You may think you can do it all, but the more you are doing, the less well you are doing most, if not all, of it. You do not have unlimited resources of stamina, energy, health, creativity, abilities, great ideas, or successes. Sooner or later, you will run low of any or all of those, if you don’t make time to rest and refresh. There are times when doing less is accomplishing more.
When Madelyn, our youngest granddaughter was a toddler, she just could not seem to go to sleep; naps were just not a possibility. She did not know how to turn off mentally and physically. She was perpetually in motion even when lying down, fidgeting, wiggling, talking or moving. Getting quiet and being still seemed agony. It was exhausting just trying to get her to rest. As a child, she couldn’t help herself then; you can and should.
Restlessness is a symptom of the rushing pace of so many lives, best described by the words – faster, sooner, bigger, longer, extra, and multi-tasking. When did you last watch the world pass you by while contentedly enjoying a porch swing or rocking chair? Occasionally, you must say, ”No hurry; not today.”
St. Augustine, North African Bishop, (354-430 AD) wrote, “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.” Maybe you would rest more if you realized the source of restlessness is your being too busy to take time for God. Rushing wearies body, mind, and spirit; resting restores the soul. See Matthew 11:28-30 NIV.
The Sabbath principle is not a polite suggestion; it is central priority within the Ten Commandments. Read Exodus 20:1-17 NIV. Why would you think any element of God’s command would be optional, including this one, or that you could be an exception to what God commands one and all? When I read the Ten Commandments, I observe the brevity of words with which God deals with murder, adultery, stealing, and lying. Yet God finds it necessary to carefully, and at length, explain the mandate of the Sabbath – “Six days are set apart for your daily duties and regular work, but the seventh day is a day of rest dedicated to the Lord your God.” Exodus 20:8-11 NIV. Old fashioned? Or a timeless truth never more essential than in this hectic 21st century?
Did you notice the non-optional nature of today’s verse? “The Lord is my Shepherd . . He makes me lie down in green pastures.” God knows when you need to slow down, cut back, or take a deep breath. Listen to your body; notice the distraction in your thoughts; heed the weariness of soul; stop the madness of relentless pursuit for what remains just beyond your grasp.
“Don’t you know that the Lord is the everlasting God . . He never grows faint or weary. He gives power to those who are tired and worn out; He offers strength to the weak. Even youths will become exhausted, and young men will give up. But those who wait on the Lord will find new strength. They will fly on wings like eagles. They will walk and not faint.” Isaiah 40:28-31 NLT.
My prayer for you today is that your heart is restless until you rest in God.