How to Slow Down and Simplify Your LifeSample

Make Time to Rest From Day to Day

It’s popular to maximize your productivity. There are countless influencers on social media promoting life hacks to do more, work harder, and achieve as much as possible in life.

But as we’ve seen over the past several days, God is less concerned with our output and more concerned with the growth of our character. On Day 2, we talked about establishing a weekly rhythm of Sabbath. Now that we’re nearing the end of this Bible Plan, let’s explore how we can find refreshment from day to day as well.

Take another look at this surprising statement about Jesus’ habits in Luke 5:

... the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. Luke 5:15-16 NIV

What makes this so surprising? Well, people wanted to hear Jesus speak and receive healing, but Jesus often chose to walk away so He could spend time alone with His Father.

That’s right. He sacrificed productivity and opportunities to help others—to slow down and rest in the Father’s presence. Does that seem strange to you?

Imagine if you had dozens of people clamoring for your attention, and some of them needed urgent help only you could provide. But instead of helping, you turned off your phone and went for a walk.

Even the idea of doing something like that is enough to stress most people out. So why did Jesus do it? Because He followed His Father’s lead on every occasion, and also because He could only be as helpful as He was healthy. He did only what the Father was calling Him to do at any given moment—not necessarily what everyone else wanted Him to do.

Jesus is fully God and fully human, so He understood that during His time on Earth, not only did He have a finite amount of work to accomplish to be in the center of the Father’s will, He also needed rest in order to bring His best.

Healthy rhythms like the Sabbath ensure we take time to rest on a weekly basis. But it doesn’t stop there. Jesus knew that He had to prioritize time away, Sabbath or not. He didn’t hesitate to rest when He knew He needed it, walking away from the needs, demands, and expectations of others so He could more clearly hear His Father’s voice.

What do you think Jesus’ critics would have said when they saw Him step away instead of meeting needs? They might have called him lazy, uncommitted, uncaring, or even selfish. But those potential criticisms didn’t stop Jesus.

So, how do we simplify our lives? We can’t just hope we’ll find time to rest. And sometimes we need more than just the Sabbath to keep us whole and healthy. So listen to God’s Holy Spirit inside you. When you need rest, find a way to take it. Don’t allow guilt, demands, or expectations to drive you to burnout.

Our world is obsessed with productivity, so you’ll likely face some resistance when you pursue rest. Be responsible, but don’t give in to the pressure to work all the time.

Pray: Dear God, You created me for work in partnership with You and also for refreshing rest in You, so please help me to prioritize both appropriately. Help me resist the constant urge to be busy, and keep me from seeking worth and approval through my productivity. Thank You that You love me completely already, before I do another thing. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Challenge: Simplify your life by planning consistent times to rest—and protect that time. Don’t allow distractions and outside demands to keep you from the rest you need in order to do what you’re really called by God to do.