Finding Rest in a Fast-Paced World

THE CALL: 2023–2024    |    3.5 MINUTE READ
REV. NED MCGRADY, MISSIONARY, DIRECTOR OF MEMBER HEALTH

Hearing God’s voice with confidence takes practice, just like playing a musical instrument or perfecting your favorite recipe. I play the piano and I like to cook. As I spend time practicing the piano and perfecting my chili soup, they become activities that I do with confidence and joy.

Sabbath rest was prescribed to us at creation as a way for us to deepen our walk with Christ and practice the pursuit of hearing God’s voice. The first full day for Adam and Eve when they were put in charge of the garden was a day of rest: the Sabbath.

Sabbath rest is an essential core spiritual discipline. It is an essential practice to bring God’s grace and goodness to our lives. It is God’s way to slow us down and help us establish a meaningful connection with God, with ourselves, and those that we care about.

Understanding Rest

WGM’s Member Health team is committed to practicing and learning better how to embrace the gift of Sabbath. Our team has engaged in focused training through Soul Shepherding to help us pause, stop, rest, and reflect on God and His goodness. We have worked hard to come to an understanding of rest.

That is quite a paradox, but one that is fitting to the ministry we have with our global workers. We often talk with people who are very busy in ministry and working hard to fulfill their calling as missionaries to reach the lost and better humanity through transforming lives, communities, and our world. They often strive to do more and more until they find that they have less and less.

This is when we need rest. Rest is a hard stop. It is a pause. It is a time to allow ourselves to be refreshed and renewed by the Spirit of God.

Is there enough space in your life?

How might you hear God’s voice and be refreshed and renewed in His presence? Pay attention to the space in between. What makes a fire burn is the space between the logs—a breathing space. Too much of a good thing—too many logs packed in too tight—can douse the flames almost as surely as a pail of water would. So, building fires requires attention to the spaces between as much as to the wood.

You can begin to manage your work and ministry by looking at the spaces between. Where is God in your work? In your ministry? In your personal life and family? Do you have an emphasis on the spaces between your busyness? Have you taken a hard STOP?

Jesus spent forty days in solitude, silence, fasting and Scripture meditation, and prayer before He ever launched his three-year ministry. Jesus changed the world forever, but He started with paying attention to the space between the logs of the fire that He came to spread to the world.

Lest you think that Jesus was only God, may I remind you of His complete humanity. He had to choose to pay attention to the spaces. In Mark 1:35, He went to a “lonely place” to pray and discern when to leave Capernaum and go to Galilee. He went out for a boat ride with His disciples on the sea and relaxed in Abba’s arms so deeply that He napped through a life-threatening storm! Then He calmed the storm with a word (Mark 4:35–41).

Where to Start

One simple practice you can adopt to create this space between the logs in your own life is a breath prayer. We know that the rhythm of breathing sustains our life with energy and vibrance as oxygen permeates our blood. A deep breath feels good and is refreshing; just like a yawn, it gives extra oxygen to wake us up!

Try taking a deep breath in and combining it with a prayer like, “The Lord is my shepherd.” Hold that breath, thinking on the care of the Good Shepherd, and then exhale, “I shall not want.” Be reminded that God is in control of it all. This simple breath prayer can make a difference in the tensest moments in our busy lives, and it provides a place for us to surrender it to God. It is a breath of fresh air in more ways than one!

If you find yourself overwhelmed, feeling like there’s too much to do and not enough time, your logs might be packed too tightly together. See if you can make more space in your schedule to breathe and rest in Jesus so you can return to the world refreshed.

ACTION STEPS

CREATE SPACE: Are you longing for more restful rhythms in your life? Soul Shepherding has several helpful resources to develop your Sabbath and learn how to practice God’s presence and hear His voice. Visit the Soul Shepherding website to see how you can find His voice in your rest.

SHARE: We live in a fast-paced culture that’s always seeking more. So many people are craving the rest and space that come with a slower, simpler lifestyle. If you know someone who’s close to burnout, or maybe already there, share this article with them! Perhaps you can take the journey toward a more peaceful life together.

Missionary Bio: Ned and his wife, Marlene, count it a joy to be in service to their missionaries in ministries of encouragement and pastoral support. They served for five years on the Texas/Mexico border and three in Ecuador. They are now stationed in Marion, Indiana, and have the privilege of serving globally.