By Josiah Kennealy

Can you relate with feeling overwhelmed, burnt out, exhausted, or overscheduled? Have you ever wanted to simplify your schedule or manage your time better? One of the challenges I have faced over the past number of years is being BUSY. 

Recently, when I read the book “Sacred Slow” by Dr. Alicia Britt Chole (which I would highly recommend by the way), I began to examine the need in my own life to have a work and rest rhythm. 

We see in Mark 3:13-15 the pace of grace from Jesus:

“Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him. He appointed twelve that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach and to have authority to drive out demons.”

Three ways towards that pace of grace today are:  

1. Be with Jesus.

Just as Jesus had a rhythm of rest, so can we! Mark writes about three tasks. The order is very sequential, like a trilogy of movies that must be watched in the right order to enjoy to the fullest. The first step is to be with Jesus. Knowing Him before making Him known. 

When I think about it, I know that the God over all the Universe has made a way for us to have complete and direct access to Him. The follow-up to that thought is have I given Jesus direct and complete access to my own life? This is our primary purpose of existence to be with and to know our creator. I love the way Dr. Charles Stanley puts it: “The most important thing in the world is your personal relationship with Jesus.” 

2. Be sent out by Jesus.

Sometimes those of us in ministry leadership glorify being used by God over being with Jesus. We buy into the lie that having a calling or job or title or task given to us to do is more important, gets us more recognition. When that’s not really the case at all. We don’t need to strive for approval from others; we always already can operate out of acceptance and approval from God! 

The word that I feel so powerfully stirring in me is OVERFLOW. We are like a glass of water. When we spend time being with Jesus, it fills us up! In order to have anything of sustenance to offer others, I must first be filled. Then, only after I have been filled, I can share the contents of my cup that overflow with others. 

I notice that the more our cup is filled, the more we can empty our cup for the benefit of others! What I mean is being sent out by Jesus comes after being with Jesus. 

3. Walk in authority from Jesus. 

Much like the last point, it’s difficult to do things in the name of Jesus when we haven’t been with Jesus or know him intimately. Back to the sequential order of the pace of grace that Jesus offers is first be with Jesus, then be sent out by Jesus, and lastly to have authority from Jesus. 

When we live in this rhythm of rest-prayer-work, we will have margin. When someone calls us, we have time for them and don’t view it as an interruption. Then ministry has this overarching sense of opportunity instead of obligation. We don’t have to, we get to! 

I love the popular saying that states: “we are not human doings, we are human beings.” 

On your campus or in your ministry, you might be dealing with time management issues, finding time to do homework and have balance in your life, it could be a source of anxiety challenges, struggling to be still or find time to rest… 

Further Reflection:

a.   Your Calendar | Time Management | Schedule 

b.   Maybe God’s asking you to rest and walk with him

c.   Maybe you need to book out days off and protect them

My prayer for you: 

God—give us a DESIRE to know you! 

God give us a DELIGHT (enjoyment) of spending time with you! 

God help us to have FUN adventures with you!

Josiah Kennealy ministers to young adults, college students and raises up young adult ministry leaders across the nation through Young Adults Today. He is an author and host of the Young Adult Today Podcast. He and his wife Micah have one child and live near the Twin Cities.