By Andrea Johnson
Whoever can spin the most plates at once wins, right? The busier a person’s schedule is, the more important we assume they are. Even as Christians, we sometimes think that the fuller our schedule is, the more the Lord is pleased with us. We wouldn’t come right out and say it, but our actions prove otherwise.
There is an old saying, “I would rather burn out than rust out,” as if those were the only two options.
Obviously, we don’t want to be lazy, and we don’t want our lives to be measured by time spent on social media. But we also don’t want to be so busy that we can’t help our neighbor if his basement floods, or chat with the store clerk who suddenly finds herself a widow, or bake cookies with our kids. And we don’t need to be so stressed that any last-minute change to our schedule sends us into a tizzy. Too much is too much, even when it comes to “ministry.”
A few years back I talked to a young mom who felt guilty she wasn’t a better mother and employee. I asked her how much sleep she had gotten the night before, and it wasn’t much. I asked her how much time she had spent that day on herself. None. So why did she feel guilty? She felt she wasn’t giving enough time to her kids or to her employer – even though she was giving all she had!
Obviously, we don’t want to be lazy, and we don’t want our lives to be measured by time spent on social media. But we also don’t want to be so busy that we can’t help our neighbor if his basement floods, or chat with the store clerk who suddenly finds herself a widow . . . .
Where in the Bible does it say that a person must work themselves to exhaustion? What about verses such as Psalm 127:2 (NLT)? “It is useless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, anxiously working for food to eat; for God gives rest to his loved ones.” Rest is a gift – from God! He commands it! “Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of the Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work” (Deuteronomy 5:13-14).
We want to be good employees, but there is a difference between being good employees and being enslaved. We don’t need to work our fingers to the bone to “prove” ourselves to others or to God or to get more stuff our children will one day have to discard or try to sell. People we now see hobbling down the halls of nursing homes were themselves once busy, important people. Now they are fortunate if someone visits them once a week.
We want to be good parents, but honestly, once a child passes infancy, they don’t need our attention 24/7. We are responsible to make sure they are loved and well cared for, but that doesn’t mean they (and we) must be involved in every activity that calls to them. Most children don’t need to join all the traveling teams performing every weekend. They may enjoy their activities more if those activities don’t suck up every free moment of their days.
In this season of life as an empty nester, I have the time to pray for extended time periods. But what about when I had children at home? Did God love me less because I wasn’t spending “enough” time with Him? Did He resent the fact that I was taking care of my children or working so that we had the things we needed?
It’s important that we carve out time to spend with the Lord, but that doesn’t have to look the same as everyone else’s time with the Lord, especially when we are in a difficult season of life. One time I was so stressed that I came into my prayer time too distraught to listen or even talk. As I knelt by a bench, I lay my head on it and asked the Lord, “Can I just BE with You?”
It was one of the sweetest times of “prayer” I ever had.
What if we budgeted our money the way we budget our time? Would we be spending it wisely or would we be bankrupt? We are given a limited number of hours in a day. We simply do not have enough of those hours to say yes to everything asked of us. If we dole out too many yeses, we end up disappointing someone who thought they could count on us, or we shortchange ourselves. The things we say yes to should not come at the expense of much needed rest. A friend once said, “If God says no to something, it means we don’t need it.” If we don’t have enough money, we don’t buy stuff. If we don’t have enough time, we say no!
Anyone with young children knows there are times when their behavior is signaling a desperate need for a nap. Often the same could be said for us. Sometimes the kindest thing you can do for your loved ones is to go take a nap, reset. As you drift off to sleep, thank the Lord for rest.
In his article, Harris Holsapple [read article] talks about a time when he felt that in ministry one could never say no, until he realized that he was not to try to take Jesus’ place. His job was to point others to Jesus. Can we trust God to meet people’s needs when we can’t?
Adam and Eve first lived in a perfect world, and they still worked (Genesis 2:15). But while they worked, they were “with” the Lord. If we talk with God throughout the day and make sure we are mindful of Him even during work hours, could that be just as meaningful as carving out a weekend to fast and pray (although there are certainly seasons for that)?
Anyone with young children knows there are times when their behavior is signaling a desperate need for a nap. Often the same could be said for us. Sometimes the kindest thing you can do for your loved ones is to go take a nap, reset. As you drift off to sleep, thank the Lord for rest.
And those spinning plates? Think of all the people in the world seeking spiritual nourishment. We can’t give them nourishment that we don’t ourselves have. They care nothing about empty plates, no matter how well they are spinning. Do you feel as if you need permission to drop some plates and take a nap? Done! Go do it. You and your loved ones will be glad you did
About the Author
Andrea Johnson, a credentialed Open Bible minister, is the managing editor of the Message of the Open Bible. A graduate of Open Bible College with a major in theology/missions, she has edited and co-edited several books, including Servants of the Spirit: Portraits of Pentecostal Pioneers, We Believe: Core Truths for Christian Living, and We Believe for Kids! Her goal is to reveal Christ to those who are searching for Him. In her spare time you will most likely find Andrea enjoying time with family and friends or hiking. She and her husband, Dennis, are blessed with four children, three of whom are married, and eight grandchildren.
