In his new book, “Simplify”, Bill Hybels states that being connected to God reminds him he doesn’t “need to fulfill someone else’s agenda, because I have my hand in the hand of the one whose plans and purposes my life is all about.” It’s easy to get so caught up in the expectations of others that we become overwhelmed, over-committed, and altogether out of control. We lose sight of what matters most in life. The world we live in today is moving faster than ever before. Attention spans are almost nonexistent; patience levels are low, frustrations are high, and the result is a world spinning out of control, plummeting into an abyss of evil that is difficult for us to even comprehend. There is an answer to this madness. There is a way out of the darkness.
We have to reconnect with the One who created us. We have to breathe. Each of us can change the world around them by remembering who is in control, and to whom we have dedicated our lives. The world changes one person at a time. It’s how it has always worked. We can’t change everyone, but we can allow God to change us. We can’t save everyone, but we can impact the life of the one next to us.
It’s easy to be overwhelmed by the scope of the problem and instead of doing what we can, choose to do nothing at all. That is not the reason God created you. He created you with a definite purpose; one that honors Him and builds His Kingdom on earth. Doing nothing is not an option for those who love Jesus. We have work to do (Ephesians 2:10) and we must be about it. At the same time we must maintain our focus on the work that is ours to do. We must resist the call of all the distractions in the world. Many will pull on our time and tug at our resources. When the requests seem good and God-honoring, it is tempting to say ‘yes’ to them all. We forget we cannot do it all, and worse yet, forget to rest and reconnect with God.
We all have a mission. Part of that mission requires us to stay in constant contact with our Savior. When we neglect our time with Him, our reserves become depleted. We can do all things through Christ (Philippians 4:13), but nothing that matters without Him. We need His power coursing through our veins in order to carry out the work He has given us to do. Rest is not evil; it was mandated by God (Genesis 2:2; Exodus 20:8-10). Jesus modeled it for His own disciples. Taking time to rest means we’ll have less time to do everything, but more time to do those things that truly matter. Don’t fall into the trap of being so busy for God that you have no energy to devote to that which matters most. Carve out regular periods of rest to reconnect with God. Pray, read the Bible, and quietly listen for His leading. You honor Him most when you serve Him to the best of your capabilities, not when you are overextended. Remember to rest and reconnect with God.