How do you respond when people ask how you are doing? When you talk about your life, how often do you answer with “busy” so that you don’t feel guilty about being perceive as not doing enough? Do you sometimes think you truly know what you need to do to get your life in a good state but you’re afraid of taking the steps necessary to get you there due to perceived pressure from those close to you or perhaps simply from your own imagined story that you are telling yourself about how your value would be diminished?

A number of years ago I decided that I would no longer use the word “busy” to describe my life. I realized that, for the most part, I have the flexibility to control what takes place in my life and that I can actually live in a way that was healthy. I would put things in place to ensure that I had rhythms that were good and that I would believe in the scriptural mandate of work and rest.

I’ve been pondering an intriguing verse. “So the message of the Lord spoken through Jeremiah was fulfilled. The land finally enjoyed its Sabbath rest, lying desolate until the seventy years were fulfilled, just as the prophet had said.” 2 Chronicles 36:21 NLT

This took place after Judah was sent into exile. God had ordained some life-giving rhythms for the Israelites – rest every 7 days, don’t farm every 7 years, Year of Jubilee after 49 years, various celebrations and festivals throughout the year. These were not random rules, these were set up because this is how God created us to be, to live. The Israelites didn’t live by them, and so not only were they suffering but the physical land, that they were to care for, was suffering. So God pushed them aside and gave the land its rest as it needed.

I wonder how many times God has stepped in and forced people to rest. It could have been through the loss of a job, through sickness, relational break up, etc. I’m not pretending to believe that these things are always ordained by God to force us to rest, and yet I wonder, for the person who is seeking God, that God chooses to interject into their lives some forced rest because they chose to avoid it.

I fully recognize that we all go through seasons of life. Often times these are out of our control and we need to step in to engage in a variety of areas that increase our time commitments. And yet, how often do these things completely overwhelm us because we have never built into our lives the God-designed margins that we were to be engaging in from the start.

Perhaps this is easier for me to write at this time as I am currently in what I am calling “a season of goodness.” It has been interesting to watch people’s reactions when I say this to them – it appears that they find it difficult to believe that anyone could have this season of life. And yet, in this “season of goodness”, I could choose to take on extra tasks, to fill my life with more people, attempt to move the ministry forward a faster clip – after all, I have the energy and mental capacity.

And yet, as I continually read scripture, I am reminded over and over of the beauty of rhythms. Engage in work, step back to rest. Take time to reflect, practice solitude. Stay focussed on what I am called to do and not get caught up in “the game of more” just because I could.

I am trusting that when I am faced with a significant bend in the road of life that I will have built into my life the necessary resilience and margin to be able to engage it as God calls me to. I will trust that God’s rhythms are the right ones and try to model this for others. How about you?

For the kingdom.