Karis & Aaron enjoying the quiet streams..Aug 08
“The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need. He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams.” Psalm 23:1-2
He lets me rest in green meadows. Did you hear that? God desires for us to slow down and take time to rest. He designed it that way! He calls us to rest! Everything is damaged by hurry. Speed does not yield devotion. The more hurried our pace, the less intimate we will feel in relationship to God or any other relationship. Hurry damages intimacy in every relationship. Jesus was never in a hurry. You never hear about him running. He was always sitting down to teach or reclining at meals. You even hear about him sleeping in a boat while a storm ragged around him.
Richard Swenson says in his book The Overload Syndrome, “I have thought long and hard about the issue of speed and have come to believe that it is as much responsible for the problem of personal and societal dysfunction as any other single factor. Virtually all of our relationships are damaged by hurry…I think I would not be far wrong if I were to postulate [say] that our sense of the presence of God is in inverse proportion to the pace of our lives.”
Nancy Leigh Demoss shares in her radio program, titled Slowing Down, “Hurry just is not conducive to godliness. It’s not Christ-like. It’s not conducive to healthy relationships. It’s not conducive to spiritual growth. Godliness and intimacy with God are not cultivated on the run. They require time, meditation, focused attention.”
I encourage you to read the full program or listen to it here.
Let’s not get too wrapped up in that to-do list. Take time to just enjoy your family. Spend time sitting at the Master’s feet rather than being the busy Martha in the kitchen. I’m preaching to myself today!
This is another call to the simple lifestyle…
It’s so easy to put the cart before the horse, isn’t it? I’ve been thinking about how to streamline my life more so that I can “take time to smell the roses” as it were. How ironic that I come here after a week of not reading this blog and find this entry. More things to think about.
As an aside, whilst reading the last part of this post I thought of Martha Stewart. I wonder if she got the inspiration for her life’s work from the woman I would imagine that she’s named after. That random thought/question is going to bug me for days now….
Thank-you! Just what I needed to be reminded of!!
Oh, this is just what I needed! Thank you so much. Bless you, girl.
I am one who has to constantly remind herself that it’s ok if things don’t get done yesterday…..not always sucessfully I might add LOL.
My journey to simplicity is one hell of a learning curve in relation to time:)
Well, I think the Lord is SHOUTING at me about this very post!!! I am a Martha to the core-I hopped onto Facebook and read a post by my Aunt and dearest friend (posted yesterday for all us ducklings she encourages)then this morning I checked your site (I come here every couple of days) and BAM!!! It’s the same topic she posted about. The Lord really can use blogs and facebook to speak to us!! God is good (even if we are a little slow to learn). Now, I need to go and have a talk with my Father and thank him!!! ♥Jac
This is so true, busy lives never yield the time to listen to our Maker. How can we talk to Him first and enjoy Him when we’re looking at our To-Do lists? My current pregnancy has been a great reminder to slow down and enjoy the things He has for me, whatever they may be.
i am currently working on trying to simplify my life–i’m definitely a martha and resting is a hard but necessary lesson!
I’m currently listening to Nancy’s series on the Counter-Cultural Woman and even through that I’ve been reminded this week of the need to slow down and just enjoy the life that God has blessed me with, enjoy the time I have with my family, and most importantly to enjoy Him. Thank you for your post
Oh how I desire a Mary heart in a Martha world.
Great post…thank you!
i love this. thank you for the reminder and for sharing this nugget of wisdom. we need to breathe, relax, meditate and enjoy everyday, a lot more. blessings to you…
I’ve been pondering the Mary/Martha parts of my life for the past few days too. I know the Lord wants me to be productive with my time, but he also wants me to rest and refresh. What a wonderful reminder in your post today. Thanks!