My Favorite Four Letter Word.

Lately I have been saying something regularly.  To be honest it is annoying. Yes, I have been annoying myself. Every time it comes out of my mouth I wish I could take it back, I wish I would've chosen different words. I am sure I am not the only one who ever wishes they could take back what they have said, but I realized this four letter word is doing something in my heart that I don’t really like.  

What is this word you may ask?  Whenever someone asks me how I am doing, my immediate response is “busy”. What does that even mean?  I think it has taken on a negative connotation.  It sounds like I am saying, busy, stressed, overwhelmed.  Each of us has stuff going on, everyone is “busy”.  What is busy for one of us may be totally crazy for another, may be laid back and relaxed for someone else.  Here is the deal, we are all busy based on our own life, on our own situation, on our own world.  Have you ever found yourself wearing your business as a badge of honor?  We think we are busier than everyone else on the planet!  We say things like, “they don’t even know what busy is”!  

When we talk about how busy we are, we are in essence saying I am busy, I have so much going on that it is making me overwhelmed and I can’t stand my life.   A new mom is busy with feeding, changing and caring for her child.  I working mom is busy trying to work, do housework, making sure her kids are fed and taken care of.  A student is busy with schoolwork and classes.  My 13 yr old thinks he is busy and you know what?  He is!  He goes to school all day, football everyday and homework at night.  He is busier than he has ever been!  I don’t think busy can be an excuse anymore.  

We are all busy, but I think we can make time for the things that matter.

I don’t like making my business sound overwhelming, the truth is, I love it.  I love being with people, going to the kids sports and I really love housework… ok maybe not that last one.  If I wasn’t busy I would be miserable and most likely lonely and depressed.  We must take the business of our lives and begin to figure out what matters and what can be removed.  A buzz word at my house here lately has been margin.  My husband gets onto me quite a bit because I don’t take time to put margin in my schedule.  I go, go, go and then I complain about it.  Well guess whose fault it is?  Mine.  

There are times when we must choose rest. (by we here I mean me and you if it applies)  There are times when it is ok to lay down and take a nap.  I struggle to do these things because I feel guilty.  I have a non-stop list going in my head of all the things I need to get done.  I lose sleep because of the ever growing list.  Is this how God has called me to live?  Frantic, stressed, empty?  No way!  

"Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him"
Ps. 37:7

As women we must take time to care for ourselves.  If that means saying no every once in awhile, then we need to say no.  If that means taking $30 from the budget to get your nails done, do that!  Whatever it is for each of us to get refilled, refreshed so that we are better for our families and the people in our lives.

This is such a hard concept for me.  I like being busy, I feel successful if my day if full, I feel like I am important.  The issue here is that by the end of Wednesday I am running on fumes and the rest of the week is spent in chaos.  

We must take the time to care for ourselves and create margin in our lives.  

In the Old Testament the people abided by the Sabbath or the day of rest.  We think that because it is in the OT it doesn’t pertain to us anymore, but God’s law is still truth.  The law acts as a guide for us to understand how to live righteously.  He didn’t only say to take a day of rest, He modeled if for us when on the 7th day He rested.  If the God of the Universe needed a day of rest, then you, my dear also need a day of rest.  We can’t get stuck on the day of the week that we need to rest. It doesn’t matter.  I would be in trouble, as would everyone else who works and serves in the church on Sunday.  The Sabbath must be a time of refilling, refreshing and reflection.

When we refuse to rest, we fall into situations that are not honoring God.  How many of us have spoken harshly, made bad choices or acted in disobedience because we were tired or stressed?  I know I have.  Here is what the writer of Hebrews has to say about it.

“11 Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience."

The Sabbath isn’t bad or wrong because it is in the OT, but neither is it required on a certain day of the week or you will go to hell.  It is a resting that needs to take place so that we can be sharp and full.  Especially those of us who lead.  We can not lead on empty.  It only hurts us as well as those around us.

How do you observe the sabbath?  Only you know, only you can answer that question.  I will say this, we must create margin in our lives, it is ok to say no, it is ok to do something for yourself.  We will all be better for it.  Let’s make our new favorite four letter word

REST

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