“Wow, you sound really defensive!”
“I can’t believe you’d say that!”
“You’re so insensitive! You just don’t get it!”
Sometimes a simple question or comment can provoke a reaction we didn’t anticipate. Or sometimes we find ourselves overreacting to something and wishing afterwards that we’d kept our composure. I remember once asking a friend, “How are you doing?” To my surprise, he broke down and started crying. (This was not his normal response to things!) He was so spent that all it took to push him over the edge was someone being kind and showing interest in his wellbeing.
Running on empty can make us fragile, volatile, and more vulnerable to temptation. When I’m pushed to the limit, it’s easier to give in to unhealthy foods like fries, pizza, pastries, and my personal favourite – Peanut M&Ms.
To set ourselves up for success over the long haul, it’s vital to create margin to rest in our lives. We need room to breathe – to reflect and process, to be refreshed, and to take some weight off so we can live freely and meaningfully.
Jesus modelled this for us during His time on earth. From His example, we learn that the best way to fill up our tanks is by spending regular, personal time with God. Getting away to spend solitary time with His Father was something Jesus did often during His earthly ministry. One example occurs in Mark 1:35–37 (NLT): “Before daybreak the next morning, Jesus got up and went out to an isolated place to pray.” We know this was at the start of an incredibly busy day for Jesus, because soon the disciples came to find Him, “and when they finally tracked Him down, they told Him, ‘Everyone is looking for you — they want you!’” (Also read Luke 5:15–16 for another good example.)
Jesus knows how it feels to have endless demands on one’s time, yet He placed great value on taking moments to rest and taught His disciples to do the same. At one point in Mark 6:31 (TPT), when it gets so busy they don’t even have time to eat, Jesus tells the disciples: “Come, let’s take a break and find a secluded place where you can rest a while.”
Personally, I like to start my day with an energising morning routine: first I walk to the gym for a quick workout. Then I head to the beach and jump in the ocean. Afterwards I go to a local café to read my One-year Bible and to journal. This helps me to press the reset button on my inner being at the beginning of every new day. Lamentations 3:23 (NLT) says: “His mercies begin afresh each morning.”
This kind of revitalising resting is intentional and takes discipline. We have to make an effort, yet it yields great rewards in every area of our lives, including our health and wellbeing, our relationships, and our capacity to handle difficulties and challenges.
I encourage you to find a life-giving rhythm of spending regular time with God and letting off some steam by doing something healthy that you love and will be able to sustain. (Bruce Lee said: “Long-term consistency trumps short-term intensity.”) If you don’t know where to start or where to find the time, begin by praying about it and asking God to help you create some margin in your life.
Seeking God and scheduling intervals of rest will set your life on a path of wholeness and wellbeing, and that’s my prayer for you. Isaiah 40:31 (TPT) says: “But those who entwine their hearts with Yahweh will experience divine strength. They will rise up on soaring wings and fly like eagles, run their races without growing weary, and walk through life without giving up.”
At the end of our lives, may each of us be able to say: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” (2 Timothy 4:7 NIV).
Bible Reading (NLT)
Mark 1:35–37
Luke 5:15–16
Mark 6:31–32
Lamentations 3:22–23
Isaiah 40:28–31
2 Timothy 4:7