As I was mowing the lawn, I was amazed to hear a constant buzzing in the apple tree above my head. I stopped and watched the bees moving gracefully, but at a frantic pace, from blossom to blossom gathering nectar and pollinating the tree. Bees are very mission-minded – they have to visit 5 million flowers to produce a single pint of honey! Amazing. There is no rest for these industrious creatures.
Living at a Frantic Pace
Do you observe that many people have a frantic pace of life, like a worker bee? Frantic people are agitated, easily excitable, hurried, and always have somewhere to be or something else to do. They never have time for the moment at hand.
I found myself living at a frantic pace throughout my consulting career. I was constantly busy as I cared for my family, managed large-scale projects, and tried to stay involved with church and friends. For me, it was unsustainable over time. I was like a worker bee trying to visit those millions of flowers! Crazy…
Even today, I often work at a frantic pace while trying to accomplish business goals. Technology is particularly challenging and distracting. Daily advances in equipment, software, and strategies promise to revolutionize our business! I love to learn, so these claims tempt me. I can easily become distracted and stressed, and my productivity decreases rapidly.
Discovering Rest
God did not intend for us to live at a frantic pace. He calls us to rest in the midst of daily demands.
In Birthing the Miraculous, a wonderful book written by Heidi Baker, she reminds us that there is a place of rest in the heart of God. In this place we learn to trust Him not matter what is happening around us.
The more we trust in God’s control and are willing to take the time to rest in His presence, the more He will do with our lives.
God will accomplish more through our resting in Him than we could ever hope to achieve on our own. In rest we take time to reconnect with who we are and God’s plan for our life. Thus, our times of greatest productivity and greatest joy will result from being connected to God.
What does it mean to rest?
- Take a Sabbath one day each week where you cease from working, just as God did.
- Draw closer to God. Pray, listen, and get to know Him. Become more intimate with Him.
- Trust and do not worry. Release your cares to Him.
- Play and relax in His presence. He knows you; he knows your need for fun.
I rested today as I mowed the lawn and stood under the tree watching the bees. I was blessed by God’s creation, and I felt great peace. I knew I was accomplishing what needed to be done at that moment.
I am learning that when I choose to rest in God I can trust the outcome. In my life and business, His ways yield far more productivity and success than my ways. Given my driven personality, I have had to learn this lesson the hard way!
How do you find rest? Is this a habit that you need to develop? I would love to hear from you in the comment box below.
